


Upper West Side

by causetheturtle



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Background El Hopper/Original Female Character, Bisexual Disaster Mike Wheeler, Class war, Dustin is a pot-head, Gay Will Byers, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, It’s the girl Will danced with at the snowball, Kinda?, M/M, Pansexual Eleven | Jane Hopper, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, Slow Burn, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, background lumax, but she didn’t even have a name in the show so..., eat the rich
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25087918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/causetheturtle/pseuds/causetheturtle
Summary: “You're so rich, bet you bought yourself a diamond chainTo look real cool, while you're telling all your friends it's fakeBut you know it's liesAnother bitch from the upper west sideCredit card cutting all of your linesYeah”The town of Hawkins, Indiana has always been separated in two - Upper-Hawkins and Lower-Hawkins.  What separated these areas were mountains of wealth and privilege that the people of Lower-Hawkins could only dream of and the people of Upper-Hawkins saw as the norm.Children from these areas hardly interact, due to the fact that they go to different schools and move in different social groups.  Until, a chance meeting between two young boys brings the two sides crashing together, for better or for worse.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Original Female Character (kinda), Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 16
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my Byler fic where I also examine the class difference in Hawkins cause it doesn’t look like the Duffers are going to do it.
> 
> I don’t really know what I’m doing honestly ✌️
> 
> Inspired by the song ‘Upper West Side’ by King Princess

Hawkins is an idyllic town in Indiana.It is the epitome of ‘Small Town USA’.Perfect suburban streets with perfect suburban families, mothers named Karen making cookies for school bake sales, children in sweet sweaters.The perfect place to walk your dog, ride your bike and raise your family... or, at least, one part of it is.If you look at Loch Nora or Maple Street you’ll see exactly what you want, exactly what all the advertisements tell you you’ll see.Even as you head down main-street, you’ll see the little stores, the nice library and the one sweet hotel in town. You’ll see the private school that people send their children to.However, the further you get down-town, the clearer the town actually becomes.First it’s just the houses get smaller, conjoined, obviously built in bulk instead of being carefully crafted one at a time.Then, by the time you reach Old Cherry Road, the houses are run down, the roads unmaintained and the people harsher.The more you drive through the town, the woods, the realer things get.Eventually, you reach the bottom of the barrel as far as Hawkins is concerned - you reach the Byers family.

The Byers family used to consist of Mr Lonnie Byers, his wife Joyce and their sons Johnathan and William.They were seen as a stain upon the great town of Hawkins, more than any other family.They could have been on the same level as the rest of the trashy families that lived in Lower-Hawkins - sure they had their issues, but who didn’t?So what if they had no money, piles of debt, children in old clothes, little toys and an abusive alcoholic man in the house?Again, most families in Lower-Hawkins did, so what made the Byers so different?Well, that’s easy to answer - Joyce Byers is what made them different.

Joyce Byers didn’t do her job, she didn’t just sit down and take it.She dragged their problems out into the open, fought with her husband on the street - and this wasn’t bickering tiffs like all couples have, this was screaming, yelling and pushing - and eventually she got rid of the route of their problems.She kicked her husband out. That  is why the whole rest of the town looked down on her, even the people who really should have been on her side.“Why doesn’t she just take it like the rest of us?” The other women asked, “why did she have to cruelly split up her family, separate her children from their father all out of her own selfishness?” everyone else wondered.So what if her husband was emotionally and physically abusive towards their children?So what if her family’s life had enormously improved since she made that change?All that mattered to everyone else was that she broke the status-quo.

The only people in Hawkins who were below that Byers family were the four black families, one of which had clawed their way into Upper-Hawkins in the last generation.

So, four became three and then only two after Jonathan left for college, becoming the first member of their family to do so.Now the small, crumbling house on the outskirts of town housed just Joyce and her sixteen year old son William - known to most as Will.

Will Byers was a good kid - no matter what anyone tried to say.Sure he liked the occasional smoke - of both cigarettes and... other substances - but he didn’t party, he was polite, artistic, kind and did well in school.

Because he was a good kid, he wasn’t spending his Friday night out at a party or with his friends, he was under the kitchen sink trying to figure out what the fuck was wrong with it.DIY was one of the many things that Will had gotten good at over the last few years.Strangely it wasn’t one of the many jobs he’d taken over in his brothers absence but something he had figured out for himself.His brother always helped his mother with cooking, cleaning and so on, and Will had been happy to pick up the slack when Jonathan left for college, but home maintenance was something that none of them could do and issues like a leaky tap would just be left for as long as possible until they finally had to admit defeat and pay someone to fix things for them.Until, Will had realised that there were books in the library on these things, so he had started reading.Now they didn’t have to pay to fix basic plumbing, electric or mechanical problems.It wasn’t something enjoyable but it saved cash, and that was all that really mattered in the end.

He was currently  _in the zone_. Music playing, foot tapping - nothing could break is concentration.Except from the almost silent noise of a skateboard against the soft September breeze.

He immediately shot up from his position and ran towards the front door, flinging it open.

“Now what time do you call this young lady?”He asked, tapping a fake watch on his wrist.

“Fuck off Byers,” Max Mayfield called, her long, fiery hair flowing through in the breeze. 

With her skateboard under her arm she ran up the steps.“Any room at the Inn?”She looked almost shy as she spoke.

“For you, always.”He put his arm around her shoulder and led her inside.

“Joyce home?” She asked as Will shut the door behind them.

“No, she’s working late,” Will sighed.

“Getting the tap fixed?” Will steered them towards the kitchen.

“Mhm.”Will let her go as he assumed his position under the sink and she pulled herself onto the kitchen counter.“It’ll only take me a second.”

They sat in silence until Will heard rustling and the sound of a lighter.

“Are you smoking my cigarettes again?”Will exclaimed.

“...Maybe”

“You bitch!”

“Chill out dude, you can have a puff when your done.”

“Well there we go-“ Will slammed down his tools and emerged from under the sink “-finished.”He put his hand out and Max rolled her eyes handing him the cigarette, which was already half smoked.

“Don’t you have your own, why the fuck do you have to take mine?”Will whined, moving to stand next to her.

“I didn’t have time to grab anything... just had to get the fuck out of there,” Max mumbled, making Will immediately feel terrible.He handed the cigarette back and gave her a smile he hopes came off as sympathetic, before lifting himself up on the counter to sit next to her.

“You wanna talk about it?” He tried. Max was one of those people who didn’t find much comfort in talking about her issues, however Will always made sure to ask anyway. He hoped that one day she might decide to speak up if he just kept on letting her know that there was _someone_ who cared.

“No,” she mumbled, blowing smoke out of her mouth and passing the cigarette back to him.

Will gave her a nod, putting his arm around her shoulder for comfort.The two of them just stayed like that for a moment, passing the cigarette between them in silence.It wasn’t an awkward silence though, it was one that occurred between to people who were deeply comfortable with each other.

Will had met Max three years ago, when her family had first moved to Hawkins from California.At the time, she was the most intimidating person in Will’s school.She had towered over him and constantly ran her mouth - the exact opposite of Will at the time.Despite their differences, they had naturally gravitated towards each other and Max happily slotted in to Will’s and his friend Dustin’s lives.

Max’s biggest problem when she first moved to Hawkins was her step-brother, Billy.He was a bully, in the simplest form.Angry, aggressive and unstoppable when he got going.Now Billy was... well no one was really sure of where Billy was.He took off right after graduation and no one had heard from him in two years.However, if Max had thought that Billy was a problem, he was nothing compared to her step-dad, Neil.

  
Billy had learned everything he knew from his father, that much was obvious, but compared to Neil then Billy was a fluffy kitten.Neil had taken all of his anger out on his son, but with that space empty he had turned towards Max and her Mother as an outlet.This wasn’t the first time Max had turned up at the Byers house looking for shelter in the dead of night.Will tried to never pressured Max to talk about her family’s issues - mostly because he never enjoyed people talking to him about his when he was younger - and Joyce was always aware of the fact that her trying to help could just make things worse for Max, so the Byers house was a safe space for her.A place where she could go for comfort and love when her own home was empty of it.

Will smoked the last of the cigarette and put it out on the counter, before jumping down to the floor and offering Max his hands.“Come along Maxine-“ she shot him a death glare him at the sound of her full name and he let out a laugh, “-time for bed.”

Max took his hands and jumped down, following him towards the bedrooms.Over the past two years Will had slowly migrated into his brothers empty bedroom.It’s not like it was planned, but Johnathan’s bed was bigger and his room was just more grown up overall.Will’s old room had become a kind of storage area and Johnathan contently slept on the couch when he visited.

Will rummaged through his drawers finding the T-shirt that Max wore when she slept over.

“God, I hate that your tall now,” Max said as Will threw the T-shirt towards her.“You’re meant to be like, this big-“ she put her hand on her chest to demonstrate, “-and have a cute little bowel cut.”This time she reached forward to ruffle his hair.He chuckled and swiped her hand away, rolling his eyes playfully and going to tidy up the mess he’d made in the kitchen.

By the time he got back, Max was lying on his bed, dressed in his T-shirt, looking through a black book.

“Sorry, but it was lying on your desk and I couldn’t help it,” she said with a grimace.That’s when Will realised that she was looking through his sketchbook.

Will didn’t really like to share his art with anyone else, not anymore at least.When he was younger he would show things to Dustin or his mom, even when Max first moved to Hawkins then he would share bits and pieces with her, but now it was just something for him.

However, he let out a sigh and settled in next to Max, resting his head on her shoulder.“It’s cool.”

She continued to flip through the pages, looking at the beautiful sketches of landscapes, people and strange creations all of his own.“These are really good.”

Will let out a noise of neither agreement or disagreement.

“Really.”Max turned towards Will, repositioning herself so that she could have a proper conversation with him.“I’m serious Will, you could make an actual living out of this.”

“Sure I could,” he slumped against the headboard.

“Come on man, have a little faith in yourself.This is the kind of art that you can make a living off of-“

“Max,” he cut her off, exasperated, “can we please not do this tonight?”

“Alright, alright.”She reluctantly closed the book and set it to the side.

She then flopped down next to him, letting out a massive groan.

“You okay?”

“No,” she muttered, “I feel like I’m going insane.”Now it was her turn to lean on his shoulder.

“Well, if there’s anything I can do to help then...” he trailed off.It’s a tricky line to walk across, wanting to help your friend but not push them to a point that they feel uncomfortable.

“Actually, now that you mention it... there is  something  that I’ve been wanting to do.”

**

Mike Wheeler was bored shitless.He was bored of his stupid, insignificant little life where nothing ever happened, he was bored of his parents constantly fighting, his stupid brain that seemed to be constantly working against him... and he was bored of his math homework.Overall the root of his boredom issue was much deeper, but right now it stemmed back to his homework.

He could always just leave it for another night... No, no, he wasn’t doing that again.He wasn’t going to procrastinate until the last minute and then get even more stressed out.

Or at least that’s what he told himself, right before picking up his Supercom.

“Come in a Lucas,” he spoke into it.“Lucas! Come on man, pick up.”He looked out of his window to see if Lucas’ bedroom light was one. 

“I know your awake Lucas, your light’s still on.”Still no answer.“I’m not gonna stop until you pick up...” Nothing. 

“Fine then, you asked for it.”Mike took a deep breath in before, “Lucaslucaslucaslucaslucasluca-“

“Jesus Christ Michael!”

“Took you long enough,” Mike grumbled.

“What’s wrong with you now you attention seeking idiot?”Lucas sounded much more sympathetic now.

“I’m _bored_!”Mike groaned, dramatically falling onto his bed.

“I’m assuming that you’ve finished your math homework?”

Silence.

“Mike!”Lucas shouted, completely exasperated at his friend.

“I know!But it’s math, you know I’m awful at it!”

“I still don’t understand how you can be good at science but suck at math.”

“I don’t know, ask my stupid fucking brain,” Mike murmured, picking at a loose thread on his duvet.

Lucas was silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts, trying to think of the best way possible that he could help Mike. 

Mike was difficult, stubborn and constantly getting himself down.He was also hard to understand, resulting in Lucas not always knowing the best thing to say to him.Lucas got it wrong a lot, but he never stopped trying, and that is something that Mike was eternally grateful for - there aren’t many people who actually try to understand his thoughts.

“You want me to come over and help you with it tomorrow night?”Lucas eventually asked, thinking that a large part of the issue was the homework.It maybe wasn’t the root cause, but it was a symptom.

“Can’t, I have to go to that stupid dinner, remember.”

“Shit Yea.I don’t even get why you have to go?”

“So Karen and Ted can play happy families for clients.”Mike had been dreading that dinner for weeks.It’s some stupid thing for Ted’s work that Mike had been forced into so that his family looked good.He gets to sit around for hours listening to the boring adult talk with no one but his seven year old sister to talk to. _Yippee!_

“You wanna come over, watch ‘Star Wars’ or something?We could invite El?”Mike asked hopefully.Right now he just needed a fucking distraction or he was gonna fucking loose it.

“Are you trying to avoid your homework by bribing me with ‘Star Wars’?”Lucas said.Mike could  hear  his bored expression through the speaker.

“...Kinda.Is it working?”Mike asked hopefully.

“No!”Lucas said determinedly.

“Come on dude!My mom made cookies earlier. ‘Star Wars’ and the famous Wheeler cookie recipe, that’s like your two favourite things!”Mike pleaded.

“...Fine!Call El, I’ll be over in a minute.”

Mike let out a sigh of relief, thankful that his plan had worked.Lucas couldn’t resits those damn cookies

**

“Is this really what you want?”

“Yes!”Will looked at Max through the mirror in his mother’s room, her face was set in stone.She really wasn’t going to change her mind.

“Bangs?”

“Yes, bangs.”She brought the towel closer around her shoulders.

“You’re really gonna trust me to mutilate your hair?”

“Mhm.”She gave a curt nod.

“You haven’t even thought this through,” Will whined.

“That’s the point.Your the one who wanted to help, so chop my fucking hair off and help,” she said with finality, sorting her hair to ensure that they’d gotten the right piece ready to cut.

“Fine,” Will sighed, picking up the scissors, “but it’s your funeral.”He moved so that he was facing Max and crouched down to better reach the desired pieces of hair.

“You do fine with your own hair, how’s mine any different?”

That was true.Will had been cutting his own hair for the past two years, after he decided that he’d put grown the bowl cut, his mom’s specialty.

“Because with mine I just chop away until it looks decent.”

“Then chop away until I have decent-looking bangs.”

“Fine,” Will muttered, finally admitting defeat.

He gave the chunk of hair three good snips to get most of it off, then started to tidy things up.

“You heard from Dustin yet?”Max asked.

“Nope, still in his cave.”Dustin had a tendency to disappear for up to days on end, getting buried in some science project that he’d come up with.They learned a long time ago to stop worrying about him, he’d emerge eventually.

“That sucks.I wanted to have a movie night tomorrow,” Max pouts.

“Well even if he was around we wouldn’t be able to.I have to work tomorrow.”

“Ughhh.You’re really abandoning me to serve food to the elite?”Max complained.

“It’s not like I have much of a choice!Money doesn’t grow on trees my love.”

Max scoffed.“You don’t have to tell me that.”

Will stepped back to admire his work, giving one last snip at Max’s hair.”

“Well, that’s the best I can do.”He stepped away so that Max could take a proper look in the mirror.

“It’s perfect,” she smiled, wrapping her arms around Will’s neck and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

**

El entered the Wheeler’s basement to see Mike sitting on the couch next to Lucas and pouting.

“What happened this time?”She asked, exasperated.

“Everything’s bullshit and we’re all gonna die,” Mike grumbled, reaching has hand into the bowl of popcorn on Lucas’ lap and taking a handful.

“So nothing new then,” El sighed.

“Oh haha,” Mike said, moving up to make room for El.

She sat down next to him and Lucas passed the popcorn over.“‘Star Wars’ _again_?”She said, taking a handful of popcorn to herself before passing the bowl back.

“Fuck off, it makes me happy!”

“Yeah we can see that, you’re practically radiating joy,” Lucas rolled his eyes.

“Oh wow, what great friends you guys are,” Mike mumbled, making the other two laugh.

They were all silent for a moment, giving their full attention to the story unfolding on the screen.

“Thanks for coming over...I really appreciate it,” Mike mumbled.

“It’s fine,” El said quietly, leaning over to ruffle his hair.

Mike honestly had no idea why El and Lucas were still friends with him.Lucas had joined the basketball team at the beginning of high schooland El joined the cheerleading squad shortly after.Both of their popularity skyrocketed after that.They had plenty of other friends, got invited to parties every weekend, but they still stuck by nerdy, awkward Mike who couldn’t speak to people to save his life.He was grumpy, insecure, stubborn and easy to upset.El and Lucas had every excuse to run for the hills, abandon him and leave him to wallow in self-pity, but they were still there, trying to understand him.They failed a lot of the time, but they tried, which was more than anyone else had done and certainly more than his parents did.For that, he was eternally grateful.

“For god sake Ted, are you really this useless?!”

“Don’t start with me again!”

Mike slumped further down, groaning at the sound of yet _another_ argument brewing.Lucas turned the volume on the TV up to drown out the noise coming from up-stairs.

“Sorry about them,” Mike mumbled, embarrassed.

“It’s fine man, it’s not like you can help it,” Lucas said.

“I just wish they’d hurry up and get a fucking divorce.”

“You don’t mean that,” El told him.

“Yes I do.They’re just making everyone else miserable.Nancy’s lucky she got the hell out of here.”Mike’s older sister had left for college two years ago.Now she never called and only came home for Christmas.It’s not like Mike can blame her, he can’t wait to run away from this shithole and never look back.

El put her arm around Mike to give him a side hug to comfort him.Mike couldn’t help but melt into the hug.El just had a way about her that she could make anyone feel better, simply by being there.

“ _And_ we have to go to that stupid dinner tomorrow and play happy families,” Mike groaned.

“Well, it is at Enzo’s, you’ll at least get some good food,” Lucas said, trying to make the best of the situation.

“Yeah, maybe,” Mike mumbled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter and left kudos. I’m kinda new to this and having people other than myself read my writing is pretty nerve racking so knowing that there are people not only reading but enjoying means a lot.
> 
> Also, thanks to my sister @Mqitlands for helping to proof read cause she got pissed off that I didn’t give her credit last time.

The Byers family were running late... again.

“Well where did you put them last night!?”Will asked, now rummaging through a bookshelf.

“I don’t know I was half asleep when I got in,” Joyce replied with her hands in-between the couch cushions.

Will let out a large groan.“Tony’s gonna kill me if I’m late again!”

“And bloody Melvald won’t kill me!”

“Guys!” Max shouted from the front door.Both Joyce and Will turned to give her their attention.“They’re- um- they were in the door.” She stood there awkwardly with the keys in her hands

Both Joyce and Will gaped at her. 

“God we’re stupid,” Will said.

“Who cares, we’ve got the keys, lets go!” Joyce started to usher the teenagers out of the house, grabbing the keys from Max as she passed her.

All three of them rushed into the car and Joyce floored it out of the driveway.

“Max, honey, where are you needing dropped off?”

“Em- just drop me at the arcade, thanks.”

After they dropped Max off - and broke several speeding laws _and_ got yelled at by multiple people on the street - they got to Enzo’s right on time.

“What time do you finish tonight?” Joyce asked her son, sweeping her hair out of her face after their adrenaline filled race to get here.

“I have a break from one to five so I’ll be done at around nine.”

“Ok, I’ll save some dinner for you.Can you get the bus back?”

“Yup.”

“Alright, see you later sweets.” She leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek, before Will ran off.

He went in through the staff entrance at the side of the fancy restaurant and walked right into what appeared to be an impromptu staff meeting.

“Your late,” said his stuck up manager, Tony.He had an obviously fake English accent and an attitude much too pompous for that of a glorified waiter.

“No I’m not.We start at nine.”Tony hated Will for some reason that he could never put his finger on.Sure, he had been late a couple of times (alright, maybe it was more than just _a couple_ ) but he did his job well and the customers liked him enough.

“Early is on time, on time is late.Your on thin ice Byers.Sit down.”

Will took a seat next to Rebecca Jones, who gave him a sympathetic smile.Rebecca lived next door to Max and had befriended Will a few years back at The Snow Ball - their middle school’s annual winter dance.She’d asked Will to dance with her, and they’d quickly realised they had a lot in common.Actually, it was really only the one thing, but it had built a life-long bond between the two of them.

“Now, as I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted-“ he looked pointedly towards Will, “-we have a big dinner tonight.Staff and clients from Alfred and sons are coming  with  their families.I need everyone who’s working on best behaviour.Right, off we go.”He clapped his hands to show that he was done with his very important talk.

Everyone scrambled into action, with Will and Rebecca going to pick up their note-pads to take orders on.

“Fucking dick,” Will mumbled to her, “He understands that I live, like, right on the edge of town right?”

“Calm down tiger.”

“I’m just saying!Why does he hate me so much, I’ve never done anything to him?”Will whisper shouted.

“Don’t waste your time on worrying about him, he’s a shit head.”

Will looked over his shoulder to see Tony quickly looking down as if just moments before, he was looking right at Will.

**

Will spent the next four hours serving breakfast and brunch to the rich business men or housewives that Enzo’s catered to, before going to find max at the arcade during his break.

They spent a while playing games (still no sign of Dustin) and then went to some greasy, fast food place to get lunch.Then, they went back to the arcade until Will went back to work.

“Byers! There you are,” Tony said, accosting Will the second he got in the door.

“I’m not late,” he said pointedly.

“I know your not.The Alfred group are here, go take their orders.”

“Why me!You were the one talking about how important this was earlier.”Will didn’t want to have to deal with some big-shot customers.He was on ‘thin-ice’ already - as Tony had stated.

“I know, but everyone else is busy so, off you go, best behaviour.”He handed Will a notepad and chased him into the main restaurant.

Will opened his mouth, trying to argue, but it was pointless.Was Tony trying to freak him out?Make him mess up a huge, important order so he had an excuse to fire him?Will was sure it had to be something like that.

Still, he sucked it up and went over to the large group of people in the middle of the restaurant.

“Hello, my name is Will and I’ll be your server for this evening.Can I take your drink orders?”

“Sorry, the whole party isn’t here quite-“

The old gray man at the head of the table was cut off by more people bursting into the restaurant.

“So sorry we’re late.”Will looked over his shoulder to see what seemed to be the party’s late comers. The woman who’d just spoken was followed by an older man - who looked to be her husband - and two children, one of them a small blonde girl and the other a boy around the same age as Will.

The boy was... well, pretty was the only word that Will could think of.He was tall and lanky in a cute nerdy way, with black fluffy hair, deep chocolate brown eyes, sharp cheek bones and freckles as far as far as the eye could see.He was one of the prettiest boys Will had ever seen.He took his breath away.

“Boy!”Will was shaken out of his thoughts by the same grey man at the head of the table.“We’re ready to order now.”He sounding insanely patronising 

“Oh, I’m so sorry, what would everyone like to drink?” _Stop_ _being gay for two seconds Byers,_ he thought to himself.

However, Will just couldn’t help himself.When he came back with the drinks, still entranced with the boy.When he took their orders, still being gay as hell.When him and some other waiters took their food over - cause there were a lot of people and they ordered a lot of food - he still  _ couldn’t stop looking. _

“Turn the gay down like, ninety percent Byers.People are gonna notice your drooling soon,” Rebecca whispered, elbowing Will in the side.

He let out a small  “ow,”  and rubbed his side.

“You can’t talk, I’ve seen you staring at that fucking trophy-wife since they came in.”

She gave him a death glare and elbowed him again.

**

“So Michael-“  _ oh fuck my life, fuck my life!  _ Mike thought to himself.This is why he couldn’t stand these types of dinners, he had to answer stupid questions about school or what he wanted to do afterwards “-what age are you now?”Mike didn’t even know who this person was but he was pretty sure it was his Dad’s boss or something. He’d better not fuck this up.

“I turned sixteen in the summer.”

“Getting old then.”

“Mhm,” Mike nodded, unsure where this conversation was heading.

“Have you put any thought into what you want to do after school.There’s always a space for you here.”

“Thanks, but em-“ Mike started to say, before he was cut off.

“Well that would be wonderful Bruce.Mike’s not sure what he wants to do yet, he’s still thinking,” Karen smiled sweetly, making Mike’s blood boil.

“Actually-“ he said pointedly “-I want to be a writer.”There was a smattering of murmurs from around the table, reacting to what Mike said.

“Yes, that’s his big dream, but more realistically he hasn’t decided yet.”

“But I have decided.I’ve known what I want to do since I was ten.”He stared at his mother, challenging her with his eyes, just asking her to disagree.

“Yes, and wanting the same career that you wanted as a child is very realistic Michael,” Karen sniggered taking a sip of her wine.The rest of the table laughed along with her, making Mike want the ground to swallow him whole and never spit him back out.Or maybe to swallow everyone else at the table and never spit _them_ back out.

His anger was starting to rise, he was gonna blow his shit any second now.He couldn’t loose it at the table, he’d already been warned that if he fucked this up he’d be grounded for a month.

“Sorry, I’m gonna go to the bathroom.”He had to get himself out of this situation before he started yelling or something like that.

He stormed down the hallway, completely fuming.Why couldn’t his mother just listen to him?Why was she so desperate to berate his dreams?Why couldn’t she just listen to what  he wanted?  Why did she have to mould everything around her into her idea of perfection?

Mike noticed a fire exit that was propped open just wide enough for him to slip through.He decided that some fresh air would be good.It would calm him down... hopefully, cause he really fucking needed to calm down.

He slid through the gap as carefully as he could while steaming with anger, trying not to set off the fire alarm - cause knowing his goddamn luck he would do something like that.

He breathed in the clear night air and leaned against the wall, just trying to clear his mind.

“Fuck,” Mike whispered to himself under his breath, digging his nails into his palms.

“Fuck,” he said again, slightly louder, this time pressing his hands into his eyes to try and stop himself from crying.

“Fuck!”He yelled this time, turning towards the wall and giving it a good kick.It actually helped.It really helped, so he did it again.And again.And again and again and again.

Each time his foot hit the wall he let out a yell, trying to let out every single piece of anger that he had at the world on this piece of wall.

Fuck his parents, fuck his school work, fuck all of his stupid thoughts, fuck this whole fucking town-

“Dude, you ok?”

Mike was ripped out of his head by a boy’s voice, coming from his other side.He quickly turned, nearly jumping out of his skin.Mike quickly noticed that it was the server that took their orders.

“Shouldn’t you be working,” he quickly blurt out, immediately regretting it. _ Come on Mike, don’t be a dick, he was just asking if you’re ok. _

“Smoke break,” the boy held up the cigarette in his hand.

“Oh... sorry.”

“It’s fine, I’ve had customers say worse,” the boy starts to walk over to him.

“You ever seen one have temper tantrum,” Mike scoffs.

“Oh yeah, a couple,” the boy leans against the wall next to Mike.

“Really?”He asked, surprised.

“Mhm.Rich people man, they’re fucking crazy,” the boy tapped the side of his head, indicating the insanity of some people he’d had too deal with in his line of work.

Mike laughed, leaning his head against the wall and looking out of the corner of his eye at the boy.He had long brown hair, hazel eyes and smooth skin. _Why are you thinking about his skin you_ _fucking idiot?_

“...Really though, are okay?”The boy asked, seemingly concerned.

“Yea, I’m fine just...” Mike gestures around vaguely “life and shit,” he sighs.

“Oh well, if that’s all,” the boy smiled.He had a nice smile.

“Yea, that’s all,” Mike smiled back at him.

They stood in silence for a moment, a moment where Mike tried to tame the butterflies that have been let loose in his stomach for reasons he couldn’t name.

The boy finished his cigarette and squashed it under his foot.“Well... I have to get back.Those plates of over-expensive food won’t serve themselves.”

Mike gave him a nod, still smiling strangely enough, his brain all fuzzy.

“It was nice to meet you...” the boy points at him expectantly.

“Oh-“ Mike shakes out of his brain fuzz “-Mike.Mike Wheeler.”

“Will Byers.”The boy points towards himself.  Will... perfect.

“Nice to meet you Will.”

“Nice to meet you too Mike.”

Will starts to back away, then turns and runs towards a door that must lead towards the kitchens.

As Mike walks back to the table he feels a hundred times lighter.He feels like he’s floating, like he’s on cloud nine.

When Will and the other servers come to clear away their plates, he gives Mike a small smile that makes his heart flutter.He decides to ignore that.Or at least try to. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you all so much for reading, I can’t believe this nearly has 200 hits!
> 
> Please feel free to comment with any kind of suggestions on how I could improve my writing. Again, I’m new at this so any kind of constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.

Will was lying with his head in Max’s lap, her hand slowly stroking his hair when the bedroom door opened.

“Well look who finally decided to show up,” Max spoke up.

“Hey,” Dustin announced his arrival, making Will lift his head up.

“Meh,” he said as his greeting, before flopping his head back into Max’s lap.

Dustin pointed towards Max’s head, “Bangs?”

“Yup.”

“When did that happen?”

“Friday,” Will mumbled.

“Cool... What’s up with him?”Dustin finally turned his attention towards his friend who was obviously going through something.

“He’s in love again,” Max said simply.

“Ahhh,” Dustin said, realisation dawning upon him.

“Fuck off,” Will said, his voice muffled by his face still being in Max’s lap.

Dustin sat down on Will’s bed to join in on his pity party.

“Let me guess, he had black hair, brown eyes, was tall and seemed really sweet?”Dustin asked.

“He was all lanky as well,” Will mumbled.“In like a cute nerdy way... and he had cheekbones.”

“Everyone has cheekbones William,” Max sighed.

“No but they were like super cheekbones.”

“Super cheekbones?”Dustin snickered.

Will shot up into a sitting position.“If you’re not going to help out then you can fuck off,” he pouted.

“Okay dude, chill out,” Dustin held his hands up placatingly.“I have something that could help.”He slowly reaches his hand into his pocket, pulling out a freshly rolled joint.

Will pouted at him, before making grabby hands in his direction, “alright gimme.”

“Joyce isn’t coming home anytime soon, is she?”Dustin asked, but he was already pulling out a lighter.

“She doesn’t give a fuck dude,” Max said.

“I know, but I still don’t want her to catchus lighting up in Will’s fucking bedroom!”

“Don’t worry, she won’t be home till, like, six or something.”

“So we have like... six hours?”Max looked over at the clock on Will’s bedside table.

“Four,” Will said, “I have to work from four to nine.”

“Do you ever stop working?”Dustin asked incredulously.

“Since I like having food, water, a roof over my head and records... then no, I don’t.”

**

“Ok, so, do you really think you could do that?”Will asked, giggling.

“Yeah, totally,” Dustin said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The three of them were awkwardly piled up on Will’s bed - with him and Dustin at the top and Max lying over their legs.They had already finished the joint and we’re now just floating in wonderful sleepiness.

“So... a pair of wings...” Max asked, less optimistic about this project than the other two.

“Aha.Then we can fly away and never come back!”Dustin reaches his arms into the sky in celebration.

“And we won’t have to worry about stupid, pretty, rich, straight boys,” Will pouted.

“I’m pretty sure they’re everywhere Byers,” Max chuckled.

“A girl can dream,” Will sighed.

“At least you’ve gotten some action.I haven’t had a girlfriend since we were fourteen,” Dustin scoffed.

“Yeah, but they’re all stupid straight guys - mostly cute fucking jocks - who use me and then leave me fucking broken hearted,” he exclaimed.

“I know dude,” Dustin commiserated.“But don’t worry, we’ll build our wings, fly away to some big city and we’ll find people who really deserve us.”

“Yeah... that sounds nice,” Will replied, hopeful, but not convinced.

**

_ “My little pony, my little pony...” _

Mike was trying to block out the sound of yet  another  stupid kid’s show theme song playing.

Holly had been watching these shows all night - well it felt like it had been all night - and Mike wanted to throw himself out of the fucking window. 

It was eight-thirty pm on a Sunday night, and all was normal at the Wheeler abode.Lucas had recently left after helping Mike with his math homework, Ted was snoring in his chair, Karen was having a glass of wine after getting Holly in her pyjamas and Holly was colouring before her bedtime.

“Holls?” Mike said, getting his younger sister’s attention.

“Yea?”Holly turned towards him, smiling brightly and giving Mike a better look at the crayons in her hands.

“Where’d you get those crayons from?”Mike was sure he hadn’t seen those before and he knew that Holly hadn’t gotten any knew colouring things recently.

“Enzo’s,” she said cheerfully.

“So you just took them?”

“Mhm.”

“You can’t just take things Holls, it’s stealing,” he told her.

“You can take crayons from restaurants,” she said.

“No you can’t.Give them here?”Mike held his hand out for her to give him the crayons.

Holly crossed her arms and shook her head, giving him a stubborn pout.

“Holly, I’m gonna count to three,” her eyes widened in fear.

“One.”

She started to look more worried.

“Two.”

She started to fidget.

“Thre-“

“Fine!”She yelled, handing over the crayons.

“Thank you,” he smiled, standing up and going to fetch his car keys.

“Where are you going?”Holly asked as he was putting his jacket on.

“To give the crayons back to the restaurant,” Mike said as if it was obvious.

“But it’s night-time?”Holly pointed towards the darkened window.

“And?”Mike asked, before heading out the door.

Maybe he was over reacting a bit, but what Holly did was wrong.And so what if he also took crayons from restaurants when he was younger... it was wrong and Holly had to learn that you couldn’t just take things without asking.

Also... Mike really wanted to go back to Enzo’s.He couldn’t quit place why, but he was itching to get back there.It made no sense to him but this gave him the perfect excuse.He could give the crayons back and wouldn’t just have to wander into a fancy restaurant whose target demographic was adults all alone for absolutely no reason.It wasn’t insane, not one bit.Or, at least, that’s what he told himself as he started his car and set off towards Main Street.

When he arrived outside Enzo’s the lights were still on, but the sign said closed.He decided to take the chance anyway.He pulled on the handle, noticed that it was in fact a push door, changed his tactic and eventually made it inside.

“Oh for God’s sake, we’re closed, how hard is it to read a fucking sign-“

The server from the other night - Will - came storming around the corner, yelling at Mike for coming in and then came to and abrupt stop once he noticed who he was yelling at. The world seemed to slow at that moment, with Mike awkwardly standing there, staring at the boy he hardly knew.

“Hey,” Mike waved awkwardly.The voice in the back of his head said,  _ so that’s what we came here for . _

“Wh- what’re your doing here,” Will eventually asked, shaking Mike of the fog that had clogged up his brain

“Eh,” Mike said, trying to regain some sense of... well, sense.“Oh, my sister took these and I thought I should come and give them back,” he uncurled his palm to reveal the crayons.

“Kids are allowed to take those home.”

“Oh, right,”Mike put the crayons back in his pocket, feeling like a total fucking idiot.He tried very hard to think of something else to say, not wanting leave just yet, not now that he knew why he came in the first place.He still wasn’t sure  exactly  why he had to see Will but... he wasn’t going to worry about that right now.

“Why are you here so late?”He came up with.

“I’m working,” Will said, as if it was obvious (which, alright it was, but give Mike a break he’s trying his best here).

Mike followed Will through the restaurant, where he started picking up chairs and setting them on the tables.

“Yea, but don’t you have school and stuff tomorrow?”

“It’s not like I’d be asleep if I was home anyway, so I don’t mind closing up,” Will shrugged.

“You don’t excel at sleep either?”

“Fuck no.If I’m asleep before two in the morning it’s a miracle.”

“I know.Isn’t it so annoying, it feels like your stupid brain is working against you or something,” Mike scoffed.

“Oh, tell me about it.I’m convinced that anyone who can get to sleep easily is a sociopath.” 

“Has it ever crossed your mind that  _ you  _ might be the sociopath?”

Will paused for a moment and seemed to be thinking “hmm... Nope.”

Mike shook his head and laughed, before the two boys settled into an awkward silence as Will continued to close up.

“Em... do you need a ride home or something?” Mike tried.That was okay, right?That was a perfectly normal question, wasn’t it? _ Why are you so worried about this you idiot? _

“Nah, I just get the bus.It’ll be here in around twenty minutes which gives me enough time to finish up around here.”Will had finished with the chairs on one side of the room and was heading to the other.Mike rushed after him, tripping up over his own feet in his hurry to not let Will slip through his finger-tips.

“Yeah, but, with the stops it’ll make and all that wouldn’t just be quicker for me to drive you?”He tried his hardest not to sound desperate, but failed miserably.

“...I live right on the edge of town and it’s really dark around there this time of night... I don’t think you’d want to drive me.And it’s- it’s late.” Will shook his head.

“Really, I don’t mind.Not like I’d be asleep if I was at home anyway,” Mike repeated what Will had said earlier, making the slightly shorter boy in front of him laugh.He had a beautiful laugh.Mike wanted to record it and play it over and over again for all the world to hear, but for now he’d just have to live with the version in his head.

Will hesitated, seeming like he was thinking over Mike’s offer.“Fine, but you’ll have to give me a few minutes to finish off around here.”

Mike stood around awkwardly waiting for Will to finish locking up before they set off towards his car.

“Is this yours?” Will asked, his face agape.

“Mhm,” Mike nodded, slipping into his car.

“Holy shit this is nice.It looks brand new,” he said in awe, sliding into the passenger seat.

Mike had never thought too much of his car.He’d gotten it when his dad had gotten a new family car on behalf of his company.He supposed it was nice, but it was still pretty basic.He decided not to mention that when looking at the way Will seemed stunned the he had a car like that.

“I knew you were rich but I didn’t know you were  this  rich!”Will exclaimed.

Mike was slightly taken aback by that.“I’m not rich!”Mike laughed.

“Really?” Will smirked.

“No!I mean, we’re well off but we’re not like rich or anything.”

“Sure you’re not,” Will rolled his eyes, looking as if he knew something Mike didn’t.

Mike was quite taken aback by what Will has said.He’d never thought of himself as rich.Sure, his family were comfortable and his dad had a good job but... they were just  normal.

Mike has only been to Lower-Hawkins a handful of time in his life.He hadn’t really had much reason to venture in that direction so he didn’t know his way around very well.He mostly relied on Will’s directions.

“Pull over here,” Will had said when they reached a row of attached houses.

“I thought you lived further out?”Mike asked, confused, looking out at the lights coming from the porches.

“I do,” he unbuckled his seat belt, “I just have to drop the keys off at my boss’s.”

Will got out and stuffed the keys in the door of one house, before going to the one next to it and throwing a few stones at one of the windows.The curtains opened and a boys face appeared looking annoyed.Will immediately started to run off, sticking his middle finger up behind him with the boy in the window quickly following suit.

“Who’s that?”Mike asked, a strange pool of jealousy forming in the bottom of his stomach at Will communicating with another boy.

“Just my friend, Dustin.”

“Oh, okay, cool,” Mike nodded, feeling relieved at the other boy being called ‘just as friend’. _ What the fuck is wrong with you Michael? _

Will kept directing as they got further out of town, the roads getting bumpier and much darker.

“Jesus, I can barely see anything,” he said, squinting his eyes in the dark.

“I did tell you,” Will said, “down here,” he pointed

At this point they were pretty much in the woods, the road highly unmaintained and Mike was honestly starting to regret this.

Just as he was about to really start panicking, he saw the lights of a house.It was small and slightly battered, but it still looked warm and welcoming.

“Here we are,” Will said as Mike pulled into the driveway.“Will you be ok driving home?”He asked with a grimace.

“Yeah I’ll be fine,” Mike insisted.

“You sure?You could always stay over if you want?”

“What!?”Mike asked, not sure why the idea made him so nervous.Sure a relative stranger who lived in the middle of nowhere was inviting him to stay over at his house completely out of the blue but... none of  that  was actually what was making Mike scared.It was how much he wanted to say yes.

“I mean- it’s just- like- it’s late and dark and stuff, so I thought that... you know what, never mind,” Will stuttered.

“No wait-“

“Thanks for the ride,” Will blurted and stumble out of the car, giving Mike a stilted wave.

Mike sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, completely unsure of what had happened.

**

Will shut the door behind him, bashing his head against it.“Fucking idiot,” he muttered to himself.

“Will, sweets is that you?”He heard from the next room.

“Yea, it’s me.”He walked into the kitchen to see his mom leaning out of the back door smoking a cigarette.

“Why are you home so early?”

“I got a ride from someone.”

“Who, Rebecca?”She put out her cigarette and shut the door.

“Em- yea,” Will decided that was simplest explanation.And what else was he supposed to say ‘no it was this rich guy called Mike who I’ve met a grand total of twice and I think I’m in love with him and I just asked him to stay the night cause I’m a stupid ass idiot.” Yea, not the way to come out to your mom.

Will was about ninety percent sure that if he came out his mom would be supportive, but ninety wasn’t a hundred so he wasn’t going to risk it.His mom could kick him out, ruin his life... he wasn’t going to tell her until he moved out, at least then he wouldn’t have to worry about where he was going to live.He’d still have extreme abandonment issues (well, more extreme) but he wouldn’t have to worry about the practical things and - in his situation - that was the best he could ask for.

“That’s nice.I’ll heat up your food.” She walked over and ruffled his hair.

Will sat down at the table and took the small pile of change out of his pockets.

“Tips were shit tonight.You’d think those people could afford to give a bit more money... stingy bastards,” he muttered the last part.

Joyce laughed, placing his food in the microwave and turning it on.

“Well, every little helps sweets.”She took the change and added it to their jar of pennies.You always knew things were getting bad when they had to get money out of the penny jar.

“I just wish that I could do better,” he mumbled, tracing his finger around the table.

“You don’t need to do any better sweets,” she wrapped her arms around from behind and held onto him tight.“We’re doing just fine.”Just then the microwave beeped and Joyce went over to get his dinner.

_Yea, but some people are doing great_ ,  he thought bitterly as he remembered the sleek interior of Mike’s car and how Mike didn’t even seem to blink at it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for yet another chapter where there’s basically no Byler but I promise that it picks up soon.
> 
> Also, a little warning for Ted being a racist, classist piece of shit.

“I’m sorry, you did what?”

“I asked him to stay over,” Will mumbled with his face smushed into the table.

Dustin started sniggering to his left, obviously trying to contain himself due to there being food in his mouth.

Max suddenly ran over to the table, slamming her lunch tray down.“Sorry, Click was being a bitch. What’d I miss?”

“Will’s a disaster,” Dustin said simply.Will grabbed a french fry off of his tray and threw it at Dustin.

“Well I was aware of that.”Will threw a fry in her direction and she held up her arms to try and shield her face as she let out a laugh.“Okay, okay,” she held her hands up placatingly, “what happened this time?”

Will quickly explained to her the events of the night before.Mike turning up with the crayons while he was cleaning up, the ride home, Mike’s really nice car and how he ask Mike to stay over.

“Why did you do that?”Max asked, curious.

“I don’t know!It’s just that- it was dark and I had to give him directions the whole way there and it was really late and I just thought - well, didn’t think - that it would be a good idea,” Will blurted, trailing off at the end.

Max seemed to be thinking everything over.“Why exactly did he go to Enzo’s I’m the first place?”

“To give back some crayons his sister took,” Will said simply, unsure how  this  was supposed to help him.

Max was silent for another moment before saying, “he likes you.”

Will stated at her, completely shocked.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Dustin scoffed.

“Dustin!”

“No he’s right!”Will shouted before lowering his voice, aware that anyone could be listening in.“What in God’s name led you to the conclusion?”

“Well why else would he go back to Enzo’s after it had closed if it didn’t have to do with wanting to see you again?”Max said as if it was the obvious conclusion to make.

“To return some crayons,” Will said slowly.

“Everyone takes crayons from restaurants, why the hell would he give them back?”

“Maybe he’s just an idiot,” Dustin shrugged.

Will gestured at him.“See, thank you Dustin.At lest one of you two idiots are sane.”

“Why do you think it’s so impossible for this guy to like Will?”Max asked Dustin.

“It’s nothding against Will, nothing.It just all seems too... convenient, I guess.”Dustin explained.

“ Convenient?”

“Yes!That Will does his whole... Will thing-“he looked over at Dustin.

“What do you mean my whole... _Will thing?”_

“You know, where you fall in love with someone you’ve just met and don’t know what to do with yourself.It just doesn’t seem real that he would also happen to be queer  _ and  _ like you back.”

“Why is it so impossible that someone could genuinely like me?”Will asked, staring to get rather offended at what Dustin was saying.

“So you agree that he  could  like you?”Max asked.

“No!I just... would it be impossible for someone to actually like me?”

“No, I’ve just seen you get hurt before,” Dustin explained.“And... people like you don’t tend to get stories like that.”

“What do you mean  people like me?”  Will asked, eyes narrowing.

“You know what I mean,” Dustin said, eyes looking apologetic.

“Yea, I do know what you fucking mean,” Will said, before storming out of the cafeteria.

“Will, I didn’t mean it like that-“ However Will was out of ears reach before he could get anything else out.

**

Will was sitting behind a wall and smoking a cigarette, away from everyone else in the school.He couldn’t be bothered with people right now

He couldn’t stop thinking about what Dustin had said, _“people like you.”_

It was just the way he had said that, it brought Will back to when he had first come out.It was after... well, Will didn’t want to think about that.But shit had gone down and he was acting all strange and his friends had started to notice that  something  was wrong.

He’d told Max first, shaking like a leaf and trying to stop the rivers of tears that were about to flood from his eyes.Max had responded with a hug and an ‘it’s ok’.Their relationship hadn’t changed at all.

Dustin... he was a different story.Max had grown up in California - where things were at least slightly more progressive - but Dustin had lived in Texas before coming to Hawkins when he was only a small child and had years of stereotypes piled on top of each other in his brain.

He had greeted the news with a small “oh,” and then hadn’t spoken to Will for weeks.

Eventually he came around but he could still just say the wrong things sometimes...a lot of the time actually.

“Hey.”Will jumped at the noise of someone approaching, relaxing when he saw it was just Max.

“Hey,” he mumbled as Max came and sat next to him.“Where’s Dustin?”He held his pack of cigarettes out to her.

“We thought it would be better if I came and spoke to you,” she said, reaching into the pack and lighting up.

“He didn’t mean anything bad, you know.”

Will sighed, leaning on Max’s shoulder.“I know.It’s just...”

“Annoying?”

“Yea... it just makes me feel like more of a freak.”

“You’re not a-“

“Yes I am,” he said firmly.“You don’t know what it’s like, Max.”

“Well tell me,” she said sympathetically.

“I do.I tell both of you but no matter how hard you try you are never going to understand it,” the tears were starting to come back into his eyes.“I just want to meet a nice guy who’ll be nice to me and take me on dates and... hold my hand,” he said, sounding pathetic in his own mind.

“And you’ll find that.”She placed her hand over his own.

“Dustin doesn’t seem to think so,” he scoffed.

“We’ve just seems you get hurt before.He’s just worried.”

“He has a funny way of showing it.”

“I’m worried too.You do have a tendency to be sort of...” she paused, searching for the right word.

“Sort of what?”

“I don’t know... _naive_ ,” she eventually settles on.

“I’m not an idiot,” Will protested.

“What about James?”She asks, raising her eyebrows.

“That was-“

“Or Jason Buckley?Or Roger Evans?”

He opens his mouth to try and argue, but found it impossible.Max was right.He did have a tendency to fall for total dickheads who just wanted to use him and then dump him.Will knew that he should know better at this point, but... he just wanted to be happy.To have someone.

“Em- you guys were taking a while so I thought I’d come and... you know.”They both turned at Dustin’s arrival.He strode awkwardly off to the side, obviously not knowing what to say or do.

“We’re just talking, that’s all,” Max said.

“Cool,” Dustin nodded.They all awkwardly bathed in silence - for a moment that felt like an eternity - until Dustin spike up again.“I’m really sorry man.I didn’t mean to upset you it’s just-“

“You worry about me... I know.”

“But that doesn’t-“

“Look it’s okay dude,” Will patted the space next to him, “come sit.”

Dustin happily went and sat next to his friends, obviously glad that the worst of the awkwardness was over.

“I probably over-reacted anyway,” Will said once everyone was settled.

“No, you deserve to feel what you felt,” Dustin said sympathetically, before reaching over to take a cigarette out of Will’s packet.

“Can you two just not get your own smokes?Or do you find some kind of great joy in taking mine?”Will asked stubbornly.

“It’s just that you always have them on you!”Dustin defended himself, now taking Will’s lighter as well.

“Yea,it’s one of the many prices you must pay for being so seriously addicted,” Max shrugged.

“Your turning this into a morality issue, seriously?”Will laughed, as all three of them descended into playful bickering.

The awkwardness from only moments ago was forgotten, but not buried.Will knew in the back of his mind that it wasn’t healthy for them to just brush these issues under the rug.He also knew that pushing to hard could loose him his friends, and he felt as if he was lucky enough that they hadn’t abandoned him the moment he’d come out.So for now, he’d deal with the cards he’d been dealt... or, he’d at least try to.

**

Mike was shaken out of his focused mindset by a basketball hitting him on the head.

“Fuck!”He yelled, bringing his hand up to his forehead.

“Sorry... em...?”The guy who hit him yelled from down on the court, pointing at Mike who was up on the bleachers.

Mike waited a few more seconds to see if the guy would get it but... no joy.

“Mike,” he said plainly.

“Yea, sorry Mike,” he waved off, the team getting back to regularly scheduled practice.

“Oh no, it’s fine Travis.Not like I sit here every week waiting for your stupid practice to finish so I can drive my stupid friend home cause his stupid parents actually give a damn about him and won’t let him loose in a car on his own you stupid fucking...” Mike mumbled to himself, trailing off.

Could these guys really not learn his name?After two years of Lucas and El dragging him to their stupid parties and sitting till their practices were over to drive them home the rest of those idiots didn’t have enough brain power to keep his name up among their garbled ‘dude-bro’ thoughts?

Although, Mike really shouldn’t expect too much from them.It’s not like Mike tries very hard to make people remember him.He was quiet and easily stumbled over his words and really can’t be bothered with getting to know people.The only thing that made him stand out was his height - which honestly just made him look more awkward.

Mike decides to ignore his spiralling thoughts - because in all honestly he really doesn’t want to spend the rest of the day deep in self hatred - and instead turns back to the notebook which is balanced on his lap.

_ ‘The trees reach up into the heavens, their colourful leaves falling onto the ground.They’re bright pastel colours - green, yellow and pink - clashing gorgeously with the thin, blue trunks.As you look at the thin trunks and swirling branches you’d wonder how the trees managed to stay upright - how the weight of the world didn’t easily topple them in a second flat, how they were able to grow this tall and survive so many bleak winter nights.It must be some kind of witch craft. _

_ As the leaves gently float down you might mistake them for butterflies - stretching their wings for the first time to escape the constricting confines of their previous lives, only to find that they land somewhere worse than where they began.With no air to guide them away from their mistakes, they’re left to be crumpled under the feet of those who step on them without any care for what beauty they may ruin.’ _

Mike sometimes finds it easier to escape into fantasies than live in the real world.Specifically, worlds he gets to create and control, where no one can hurt him or others.He’s tried to draw them out multiple times, however he’s discovered he can’t draw for shit, so for now he’s sticking with writing.Not that he minds - it’s his only real talent at the end of the day.

He finds that Lucas’ basketball practices are a good place to get writing done, since there’s really not much for him to do.He doesn’t actually hate watching practices as much as he puts on.It can be quite fascinating to watch all of the boys running around.He can admire their athleticism and skill.It can get distracting though, so it’s much easier for him to do something that he genuinely enjoys doing other than say, homework.

Eventually El comes and plops down next to him - her sleek pony-tail somewhat disheveled after cheerleading and dressed back in normal clothes - and the boys go back to the locker room to get changed.

“Hey,” she said, still slightly out of breath.“Having fun?”

“Oh, you know it,” Mike said sarcastically.

El tried to look over his shoulder to get a proper look at his writing, but Mike just brought the notebook up to his chest to shield it from her prying eyes.

“Oh come on,” she moaned, “just let me have a peak?”

“Nope,” Mike said, popping the ‘p’ for emphasis.

“How are you going to deal with being a published author if you can’t even let your friends have a little look?”

Mike decided to ignore that issue and cross that bridge when it came time.

El shook her head and rolled her eyes at her stubborn friend.

“Hey, Jen’s having a party this Saturday, you wanna go?”She asked excitedly.

“I still can’t believe you call her  Jen, ” Mike scoffed.

El elbowed him in the side.“Shut up, she’s really nice.”She looked down at her fidgeting hands with a goofy smile on her face that Mike couldn’t quite place.

“She threw a volleyball at my face in gym class!”He protested.

“That was an accident,” El shrugged off.

“No it wasn’t!”El started to laugh at him.“Seriously dude, she had this evil little glint in her eyes- stop laughing it’s the truth!”

At that moment Lucas turned up, bag slung over his shoulder.“What’re we talking about?”

El tried to calm her laughter.“Mike’s a paranoid idiot who thinks everyone’s out to get him.”

“Not everyone!Just Jennifer Hayes.”

“Your not still on  that  are you?She’s said multiple times she didn’t mean to hit you.”

“And I don’t believe her,” Mike shrugged, packing away his things.

“You have to stop holding grudges against people who were mean to you in Middle School man,” Lucas scoffed, folding his arms,

The three of them stood up and started to walk out of the gym and towards the parking lot.

“If you’d just  try  and get to know them I’m sure you’d like them,” El tried to persuade him.

“I just can’t be bothered with getting to know people,” Mike groaned.

“Are you ever going to make a friend other than the two of us?”Lucas asked.

Mike was about to say ‘no’ when Will’s face came into his mind - with his soft brown hair and deep hazel eyes - and Mike thought that, maybe, he wouldn’t mind making another friend. 

“Maybe, just not a bitch like Jennifer Hayes.”El groaned at that and Lucas laughed.

“How exactly did we get onto the subject of Jennifer Hayes,” Lucas asked as they stepped outside of the school and into the late summer sun.Although it was obvious that the good weather was slowly on its way out, there was still drops of sunshine left in the Indiana sky for this year.

“She’s having a party this Saturday.You wanna go?”

“Sure, sounds fun,” Lucas replied.

“Well, you two have fun,” Mike said, pulling out his car keys.

“You’re really not gonna come?”El asked desperately, leaning over the top of the car.

“You guys know parties aren’t my thing.The loud music and all the people it’s just... not fun for me.”Mike slipped into the car, followed by his friends.

The three of them drive to El’s house and are greeted by her father Jim - more widely known as Hopper - who is one of the most intimidating people Mike has ever met and also chief of police in Hawkins.

Mike has always been rather scared of Hopper, especially after him and El dated.It was only for a few months when they were thirteen but Mike feels as if Hopper has always blamed him for his daughter growing up.He knows that El loves her father and he loves her (maybe to much in some cases) and that he has good intentions but... you never know what to expect from Hop.He could be the cheeriest person to ever live or he could be the biggest dickhead on the planet.

Today he seemed to be in one of his good moods, as he cheerily greeted his daughter and friends in from school.

“Hey trouble,” he walked over and ruffled El’s hair, a gesture she accepted with a small grimace.

“How was practice?”He was still turned towards El, but the question was really for her and Lucas.

“Fine,” they both said with a shrug.

“Well just talk my ear off why don’t you,” Hopper chuckled.

“We’re gonna head up and do some homework.”El pointed towards the stairs and then turned to go up them, followed closely by the two boys.

“Alright, just remember to keep the door-“

“Open three inches,” the three of them intoned, walking up the stairs.

“Why is he so obsessed with that.What the hell does he think we’re doing up here,” El giggled, pushing open her bedroom door.

El’s room could not be more quintessentially her.Mint green walls, a patchwork quilt-cover in different tones of orange and pink, little nick-nacks scattered all over the place, her small army of plants in the window and pictures everywhere. 

Hopper had bought her a Polaroid camera for Christmas a couple of years back and ever since then El had been constantly taking pictures.Her room was now covered in photos of her with Mike, Lucas, her friends from cheerleading and her sister.

“I blame Mike,” Lucas joked.

“Does everything have to be my fault?”He asked, slipping his bag off of his shoulder and setting it by the door.

“Yes,” Lucas turned back to Mike with a smirk on his face, sitting in the desk chair, and Mike gave him a dirty look.

El was now shifting through her collection of tapes, searching for music.

“We dated for around two seconds when we were thirteen and he still has a fucking grudge against me, it’s ridiculous!”Mike flopped down on El’s bed.

“He’s just protective,” El defended, now moving towards her stereo and getting everything set up.

“Occasionally to the point of insanity!”Mike protested.

She just shook her head and laughed at Mike’s ‘dramatics’.Mike stood by what he said about Hop.The guy could be borderline insane with his protection of El.Mike thought that it might have something to do with El’s sister, Kali, who went  a little  out of control a couple of years back and freaked the hell out of everyone in Hawkins.

A Madonna song that Mike didn’t know the name of (they all just sounded the same to him) starts playing and El has a quick bop around to it before turning towards Mike and clapping her hands.

“Right!Math homework!”

Mike groaned and turned over so that his face was in one of El’s pillows.

“Come on now, you can’t just hide from your issues Michael.”She sat next to him and poked his shoulder blade.

“Yes I can.Watch me,” he mumbled.

“Come on man, lets just get it done now while we can help you,” Lucas said.

“Mehh” was the only answer Mike could muster as El pried him off of the bed and Lucas threw his bag at him.

“So,” El started, “this problem is actually pretty easy.You just...”

That was as long as Mike was able to listen for until his mind started to wander.

_ God, math is fucking boring.Who the hell invented this subject?Who invented math in general?They deserve to die.Actually, now that I’m thinking about it they’re probably dead already.I wonder if Will’s good at math?He probably is.He seems like one of those people whose really great at everything.He’s probably so smart- _

“Michael?”El snapped her fingers in front of his face.

“Hm?”

“Are you listening to me?”

“Oh yeah.”El looked at him sceptically.“Promise.Cross my heart.”Mike did the motion over his chest.

“Alright.”She still didn’t look completely convinced.“Like I was saying...”

Mike really did try and pay attention, but something about the subject math completely turned his brain off.

_ Maybe I should go to that party.Even if Jennifer is a bitch, Lucas and El are going so it won’t be to bad.I should give partying another chance.I might enjoy it this time.No you won’t idiot, you’ve tired parties multiple times and you always just end up sitting on your own on a corner.I wonder if Will likes parties?I know I shouldn’t stereotype but most people down-town do.Wait a second, didn’t he say his last name was Byers.As in- _

Suddenly, a pencil was thrown at his face.

“Lucas!Why the fuck did you do that?”

“Cause you were zoning out again.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to throw a pencil at me!”

“Well, El snapping her fingers didn’t work!”

“You could have tried something-“

“What the fuck is going on up there?!”Hopper suddenly yelled from down stairs, gruff as ever.

“Nothing!Mike’s just being and idiot,” El called back.

“Oh, well if that’s all...” They heard Hopper retreating from the bottoms of the stairs.

“Really?”Mike asked his friends, who were just laughing.

“Come on, lets get back to this.And  listen this time,”  El pleaded.

“I do try, it’s just that my mind... you know... wanders.”Mike waves his hands around as he talks to... he’s not really sure why he does that in all honesty.

“You seem even more distracted than normal, and that’s saying a lot,” Lucas sniggers.“Anything on your mind?” He sounds more concerned this time around

“Yea, I’m fine.Let’s just get back to this.”He turns back to his math homework and bumbles his way through the questions.

**

Mike shifts his food around his plate, testing the waters of what he could ask.His parents seem on good terms - which in their case means they’re not glaring at each other and are simply ignoring each other’s existence - and Holly just got done yammering on about her school day.

“Mom?” He tries.

Karen looks towards him, wine glass in hand, and shoots him a look that gives Mike permission to continue.

“How many people in Hawkins have the last name Byers?”He asks.

His mother’s expression becomes strange and unreadable.“There’s only one that I know of.”She says stiffly.

“They live down-town.Strange family.Bunch of screw-ups really.”Ted muttered.His expression was also unreadable - mostly because his expression never changed.

“Actually, I heard one of their children has gone to college,” Karen offers.Mike starts to look between his parents, seeing if this will start World War Three.Fortunately, both of them seem to tired to argue over the suitability of some random family they’ve most likely never met.

“Still, you should stay away from them Michael,” Ted offered.

“Why?”

“Cause their a shady bunch.”

“You said that about Lucas as well.”Mike argued.He could remember when the Sinclair’s had first moved in next door.He was only young but his father had referred to them constantly as ‘shady people’.

“Still, the Sinclair’s turned out to be some of the decent ones.Doesn’t mean you can trust everyone like them or the Byers.”

Mike was about to start arguing with his father when his mother cut in.

“Why are you asking us this Michael?Have you been in contact with one of the Byers?”Her face looked strangely... hopeful, was honestly the only word that Mike could think of.

“No, just... heard the name somewhere,” Mike lied, deciding that would be easier than the truth.Not that he knew what  the truth  was. He hadn’t _exactly_ hung out with Will. He’d just had a quick conversation with him around the back of Enzo’s and then given him a ride home one night.

That answer seemed to satisfy his parents, who went back to eating their dinner as the Wheeler family resumed their regularly schedulad silence.

**

El sat down on her couch next to her father, who was watching some detective show he loved.

“Hey kiddo,” he ruffled her hair as she laid her head on his shoulder and settled in.“What you up to?”

“Nothin’ much,” she shrugged, reaching over to take some chips out of his packet.

“Well then what do you  want ?”He smirked at her.

“Can’t I just spend time with my father who I love?”

“Nope.”El rolled her eyes, submitting to his questions.

“Jennifer’s having a... get together-“ it sounded better than party “-this Saturday.Can I go?”

“Sure,” her dad shrugged after only a few moments of contemplation.

“Really?”She asked, shocked that he gave in so quickly.“No third degree, no investigation?”

“You make me sound like some kind of uptight freak,” Hopper scoffed.El just raised her eyebrows at him.

“Okay, so maybe I can be a  little  over protective,” he admitted, “but I’m just happy you finally have some new friends.”

“Really?”

“Yea, I mean, it was getting kinda weird that you only hang around with guys.It’s good your spending time with more girls your age.”

El felt her heart rate speed up. _ Oh, if only you knew, _ she thought to herself.

She leaned closer into her father, deciding to just savour this moment and worry about everything else on her mind later.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for homophobic bullying and also Will’s issues left over from his father’s abuse.

Will was waiting outside of the boys locker room for Dustin after gym class.Will had stopped using the locker rooms in Middle School, cause strangely when you’re very obviously gay as hell you tend to become a target in that kind of environment... who woulda thunk it?

He was minding his own business when- oh god no!He really couldn’t be bothered with this today, not one bit.

He averted his eyes from who was sauntering down the hall, hoping that maybe - just maybe - he would be able to blend into his surroundings.However, no joy.

“What do we have here,” Jason Buckley sneered.Will kept his head down, still naively hoping he could make it out of this unscathed.

“What’re you doin’ out here then Byers,” one of his stupid lackeys spat.

“I’m just waiting for my friend,” Will said, trying to sound firm but only coming off as scared. _ Should’ve just kept your mouth shut idiot. _

“Yea right.That look on your face screams guilty.”Jason started to close in on him.Although Will had grown over the past few years, he still wasn’t tall enough to even seem slightly intimidating to someone like Jason. _ To think, you used to find that height difference comforting,  _ he thought bitterly. 

“Bet he was peeking through a crack in the door,” another guy sniggered.

“Pervin’ on everyone.Little freak.”

_ Come on Will, keep your mouth shut,  _ he told himself, all while his fists were tightening at his side and his jaw was locking with tension. _ This happens all the time, just ignore it. _

Jason then leant forward, pushing him up against the wall in a way that would only look intimidating to onlookers, but felt far too familiar to Will.

“You’ll be needin’ something else to fulfil your pervy little fantasies since I’m not around anymore,” Jason whispered quickly, just quiet enough that nobody but Will could hear him.

“Fuck you!”Will snapped, spitting in Jason’s face and shoving him back with all the force he could muster.

Jason stumbled back, a look of total shock on his face.“Little freak!”He yelled running forward and - before Will knew what was happening - pushed him to the ground and punched him right in the face.

**

“Im gonna fucking kill them,” Max snarled while dabbing at the blood on Will’s face.

“Love the sentiment but I don’t want one of the few ally’s I have in this shithole getting locked up.”

“They can’t just get away with this.”

“Unfortunately they can,” Will sighed.

Him, Max and Dustin were currently outside the nurse’s office.Max was cleaning the blood off of his face and Dustin was pacing.

Like always, Dustin had dragged him there against his will covered in blood.The nurse had basically told him to suck it up and get on with his life.

Max had assumed where they were after they hadn’t turned up for lunch and had immediately shoved Dustin out of the way and started to tend to Will’s wounds.

His injuries didn’t seem too bad, just a bloody nose and bruise under his eye.Will had gotten much worse in his time.

“I don’t get it, you literally sucked that guys dick-“

“Dustin!Shut it!”Will whisper-shouted.

“What?It’s a fact.You could ruin that dudes life, why the hell do you put up with this shit?”Dustin asked.

“Because - first of all - I’m not a terrible person so I’m not gonna out him to whole fucking town, and - second of all - that would include admitting that  I  was involved in that and... that can’t happen.”Will didn’t want to think about what would happen if  everyone  found out about him for real.It was one thing too be the ‘queer kid’ in town, it was about ten times worse to be the  _ actual  _ _queer kid in town._ His mom could find out and all of his worst fears about her could be true.Or - even worse - the news could find it’s way back to his dad.

Will didn’t even know where his father was living at this point, but he  did  know that if word somehow got back too Lonnie Byers that his kid was  really  a fag then he’d march back to Hawkins and... Will didn’t want to think about what his father would do to him.

“It’s just not fair,” Max muttered, still dabbing at the blood on Will’s face.

“Well, life isn’t fair.”He stood up and started to walk away from his friends.

“Hey, dude, where’re you going?”Dustin yelled after him.

“To the bathroom!”He shouted back.

“Will-“ Max tried.

“I’ll be back in a minute.”

It was only when Will was in the nearest bathroom, out of the watchful eyes of his friends and sure nobody else was around that he started to cry, hands gripping onto the sink in front of him.

**

Mike Wheeler didn’t know what the fuck was going on.He was used to being easily distracted by his own thoughts, used to falling into mystical worlds of his own creation during the school day, but this was different.

Mike had spent the past three days thinking of Will Byers.

Honestly, that’s all that’d been on his mind.Which was strange cause Mike hadn’t wanted to make friends with anyone since meeting Lucas when he was seven.It had always seemed like so much work, but with Will it... well, it wasn’t easy, but it seemed  worth it. Like, all of the awkwardness of trying to strike up a conversation with this boy he barely knew would be worth it in the end.

He’d been writing a lot too.Well, more than the normal amount.Most of it’s just the same sad poetry and passages he normally writes whenever he’s in a mood, but then some of it he’ll look back on and be completely unsure why he wrote it.

‘ _There’s a space in my heart,_

_ Left empty and cold, _

_ I never knew why it was there, _

_ And I’ve grown so old. _

_ It’s always been there, _

_ felt like something was missing, _

_ Now I think it might be for you.’ _

Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?

Although Mike’s mind had been on a complete other plane, life had continued as normal.He had just dropped El off at her house and was now pulling up in front of Lucas’.

“Mike!”Lucas snapped his fingers in front of his face.

“Huh?”Mike said back.

“Jesus, you’ve been even more out of it than usual the past few days,” Lucas sniggered.

“Hm,” Mike hummed noncommittally.

“Are you coming to Jennifer’s on Saturday or not?”

Mike groaned.“I don’t know man.I’ll just see how I feel on the day.”

“Alright.You should though, it’ll be fun,” Lucas tried to convince him.Mike just gave another noncommittal grunt.

Lucas rolled his eyes at his stubborn friend before saying goodbye and running inside.

Mike looked over at his house and leant against the steering wheel.He would be home in two seconds, then he just go up to his room and write for the rest of the night.Here he goes.Heading home.

Except, Mike is not heading home.He doesn’t know why but he’s suddenly driving in the exact opposite direction.And before he knows it, he’s way down-town and entering Lower-Hawkins.

Mike honestly couldn’t recall for the life of him what was going through his mind on his journey out of town.Maybe it wasnothing - maybe his mind was completely gone, dead to the world.Maybe it was his heart directing him to the outskirts of town, into the woods and down the bumpy, gravel path he had only passed once before.

By the time Mike’s brain decided to check back in he was pulling up to the small house where Will Byers lived.

Will was already outside, hanging out a large pile of laundry, and didn’t seem to notice the car in his driveway.Mike saw the Walkman clipped to his jeans and the headphones around his ears and drew the conclusion that Will was far to engrossed his music to notice anything else. 

Mike exited the car, just looking at the shorter boy for a moment.Will seemed to have gone from casually bopping his head to the music to now furiously dancing like no one was watching - which he obviously believed they weren’t.He looked completely... lost wasn’t the right word. _ Found  _ was more apt to describe the look on Will’s face, like right now - in this moment - he was home in a way he never had been before, as if he had found his place in the world. And that was in the music.

He continued to watch Will for what felt like an eternity and a second all wrapped into one glorious moment - the smile on his face growing larger the longer he stood there.

It was only when Will turned around - while playing air guitar - that his eyes widened at seeing Mike stood there.Mike’s cheeks began to flush with embarrassment.He hadn’t thought about what would happen when Will actually noticed him.Will abruptly dropped his headphones down around his neck and gaped at Mike.

“Hey,” Mike said cautiously, raising his hand in an awkward little wave.

“Hi,” Will croaked.“How much of that did you...” he trailed off, obviously nervous. _ Cute _ .

“A lot,” Mike chuckled, trying not to sound malicious in any way.He walked slightly further towards Will.

Will groaned, throwing his head back.“I’m so sorry you had to experience that.”

“It’s fine.You actually looked pretty cool.”

“Yeah right,” Will scoffed.

This was the first time Mike had seen Will in anything but his work uniform.He was wearing an old pair of jeans that looked rather worn out, a basic t-shirt and a flannel.Mike kinda felt like an idiot standing there in his school uniform.

“So... what’re you doing here?”

“Oh em-“  _ come on Mike, think of something! _ He shoved his hands in his pockets and felt the change he had lying around in there.“Are these yours?”He flung his hand out right in front of Will’s face.A few of the pennies fell on the ground.

Will looked down at the money on the ground and slowly looked back up.Mike’s whole face was now going red. _ Nice going Wheeler.Real a-plus job you’re doin’ here. _

“No,” Will said slowly.

“Oh, right- it’s just that-“ he bent down to pick up the change “-I found it in my car so I thought that maybe it could be like- your tips or something like that.”Mike tried to explain hurriedly.

“That’s not really why you’re here, it’s it?”Will asked, watching as Mike straightened up.

“No... it’s not.”Mike scratched the back of his head.“I honestly don’t know what I’m doing here- I’ll just...” He turned around, heading back too his car.

“Wait!”Will grabbed onto his sleeve and Mike turned back around.Will withdrew his hand like he’d been burnt by the material of his uniform.“Em- you can- you can stay for a bit... if you wanted.”Will looked as if he was trying to look come of as casual.He wasn’t succeeding.Mike didn’t really mind.It made him feel better knowing that Will was nervous as well.

“Oh, okay.Cool,” Mike smiled.

“Cool.”A smile grew over Will’s face too.

The two boys stood in an awkward silence, stupidly grinning at each other.

Mike’s brain had decided to check back-in at that point, and he finally noticed that Will’s face was slightly dishevelled.

“What happened?”He asked, gesturing towards Will’s eye and nose.

Will reached up to touch his injured face, as if it was news to him that his face was fucked up.

“N-nothing,” Will quickly shook his head and dropped his hand back down by his side.“I just... fell.”He seemed unsure.

“You fell?”Mike repeated, suspicious.

“Yup.Into a tree.”Will looked surprised at the words coming out of his mouth.

“You fell into a tree?”Mike repeated again, trying hard to quell his laughter.

“Fuck off,” Will mumbled, lightly shoving Mike in the chest.

“I thought you wanted me to stay?”He quipped back.

“Idiot.”Will turned around and walked back to the laundry he was hanging up when Mike first arrived. 

“Are you here alone?”Mike asked after a moment of silence.

“Mhm,” Will nodded.

“Where’re your parents?”

“My mom’s at work.She’s working late,” Will shrugged.

“And your dad?”

“Indianapolis last time I heard.That was a few years back so...”

Mike’s heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. _ God, now you seem like a dick.Well you’re acting like a dick so that seems about right. _

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean-“

“It’s fine,” Will shrugged it off.

“No it’s not I shouldn’t-“

“Mike,” Will said, more forcefully this time around.“It’s really fine.I get it all the time.No big deal.”

That didn’t really make Mike feel any better.He really put his foot in his mouth there.He should’ve just left it when Will didn’t mention his dad when he’d originally asked.

“Okay,” Mike said softly.

Mike watched as Will finished hanging up the laundry and picked up the basket.“You can come in if you want.”Will gestured towards the house.

“Yeah, definitely.”Mike quickly nodded, not wanting to miss an opportunity to spend more time with Will.

As Will lead him through the house Mike couldn’t help but look around in awe.

The inside of Will’s house was much like the outside - a little unkempt, broken and messy, but still warm and welcoming.It had character - a soul - something that Mike’s own home sorely lacked.

“It’s not much but...” Mike looked over to see Will just awkwardly standing there, testing what Mike’s reaction was.

“No- it’s cool,” Mike tried to reassure him.

“I bet it’s not as nice as your place,” he mumbled sheepishly.Mike didn’t have time to come up with an answer.“Where do you live?”Will asked, curious.

“Maple street.”Mike said simply.

Will’s face lit up in awe.“Really?”

“Mhm,” Mike nodded.He’d never gotten that kind of reaction when answering that question before.

“Is it one of those big fancy ones?You know, with like, two living rooms and a big dining room and... matching cutlery?”Will asked, eagerly.

Mike couldn’t help but laugh.“What’s the big deal with matching cutlery?”

“I don’t know, it’s just cool.Oh, and I bet you have one of those cabinets filled with nice plates that you never use.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Mike shook his head, laughing.

“What!?That kinda stuffs cool!”Will was laughing now as well. _I made him laugh_ ,  Mike thought with a strange sense of pride.

When both of them had calmed down, Mike turned his attention towards the X-men comic book lying on the kitchen table.

“You like X-men?”He asked, happy to have found some common ground to build a sustainable conversation on.

“Aha,” Will nodded.

“Have you read the newest issue?”

“No!I’m gonna borrow Dustin’s copy when he’s done with it, so no spoilers,” Will pointed at him.

“Well it’s really great.There’s this one bit where-“

“I just said no spoilers!”

“Are you sure.Cause there’s this part where-“ Mike teased.

“No! Don’t tell me!”Will threw his hands over his ears.

The two boys ended up in Will’s bedroom, chatting about all the things they had in common.

Mike’s attention ended up being drawn towards a book shelf that instead of having any actual books in it was filled with records. Will ended up taking Mike through all of them, discussing the bands, where they were formed, what kind of music they played. He was like an encyclopaedic filled with fun facts about music.

“You’ve never heard of The Clash?Have you been living under a rock?”Will asked incredulously.

“Well apparently so,” Mike shrugged.“Are they any good?”

“Are they any- Right that’s it.”Will took the record from the shelf and pushed Mike onto his bed.

“What’re you-“

“Prepare for your life to change forever,” Will said as got the record ready to play.

Mike couldn’t help but stare as Will delicately took the record out of its cover, as if it was some rare or ancient artefact.Mike had never been one for music - it all kinda sounded the same to him - but Will’s passion for the art form just made Mike smile.He obviously cared for it so greatly.It was nice to see.

The static noise started to sound before the lyrics started to play out.

‘ _London calling to the faraway towns_

_ Now war is declared, and battle come down’ _

Will started to dance to the music, and just as before he was totally lost in the lyrics.Mike watched Will’s every move as he reached over his desk to grab the packet of cigarettes.Will stuck one in his mouth and lit it up, exhaling a large breath like it was his first time getting a gasp of air.He moved over to the bed and sat down next to Mike, before flopping back and melting into the mattress.

Mike just looked for a moment before cautiously laying down next to him, not really sure if he was supposed to.

Unfortunately, Mike didn’t really hear much of the song, too busy focusing on the tapping of Will’s head to really care to much. He really was gorgeous, one of the prettiest boys Mike had ever seen. He had an absurd want to reach out and swipe a strand of hair out of Will’s face. He fought against his desires, knowing that he would probably be over-stepping all boundaries.

The room was silent apart from the sound of the turning record while the song was playing, however it eventually finished and the record played on, but Will opened his eyes so Mike assumed he had permission to speak again.

“Do you smoke a lot?”He asked, nodding in the direction of the cigarette slowly burning in Will’s hand.

“Hm?”Will looked over at him, taking a moment to process the question.“Oh, yeah.Probably to much,” he laughed.

Mike turned so that the rest of his body was turned towards Will.

“Why?”Mike was curious.He’d never had any kind of wish to smoke or anything like that.He hardly even drank.

Will sighed, looking as if he was thinking of an answer.“Peer pressure,” he answered simply.“Also my mom’s a big smoker so I guess I was always kinda... curious.I know that they’re bad for you and they make your lungs shrivel up and shit but... once you start it’s hard to stop.”Will shrugged, taking another long inhale.

”When did you start?”

”I was around... thirteen, maybe just turned fourteen. I can’t really remember.”

”You we’re that young!?”

”Mhm,” Will nodded. “Like I said, peer pressure. Also they kinda... calm you down. It’s like there’s this itch you’ve had your whole life that you don’t even realise is there. And when you’re _finally_ able to scratch it, to get rid of the discomfort... it’s hard to go back.”

Mike just nodded. He knew that itch - he knew it well - knew how annoying it could be to feel as if there _something_ just out of place that you couldn’t fix no matter how hard you tried. He also understood why a person might to driven to do something - _anything_ \- to quell the itch, even if it hurt you.

He stayed quiet - bathing in the sound of the music and the feeling of Will’s presence - just looking at the gentle bob of Will’s throat as he inhaled and exhaled.He looked good when he smoked.

Mike was broken out of his trance by the sound of the front door opening and a woman’s voice calling out.“Will?”

“Shit!”Will shot up, stabbing his cigarette out on his bed side cabinet and rushing to turn the record player off.

Mike followed him, shocked by Will’s abrupt movements.He was acting as if they’d been doing something wrong, which they weren’t, were they?

“What’s up?”

“I was supposed to make dinner but I lost track of fucking time,” Will muttered.

“Oh.” _Well it’s nothing to do with me then._ “What time is it?”He asked as Will flung open his bedroom door.

“Around six.”

“Shit,” Mike hadn’t realised how late it had gotten.

“Will, sweets, are you home?”Mike heard the woman call again.

“Yeah, I’m here.”They walked into the kitchen to see Will’s mom tidying up. 

Will’s mom turned around to look at both boys.She was a small, thin woman with messy brown hair and kind eyes.She looked around the same age as Mike’s own mother.

“Who’s this?”She asked when she noticed Mike.

“This is Mike, he’s em- a new friend.”Will seemed unsure of his answer.Mike decided to shrug that off.It was nice to hear that Will considered them friends.

“We were hanging out and we lost track of time so I haven’t gotten dinner ready I’m really sorry-“ Will started to apologise but his mother cut him off.

“That’s fine sweets, we can whip up something now.Are you staying Mike?”She turned her attention back to him.

“Oh em- thanks but I should probably get home.”It had just dawned on him that his parents had no idea where he was. _ Not that they’d care,  _ he thought bitterly.

“Well it was nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Mike waved as Will walked him out.

“Hey listen-“ Will started as they got to the door “-me and my friends are getting together on Saturday night and em- I was wondering if you’d want to come?It’s only like, three of us and we’re just gonna go to the junkyard and smoke and they’ll probably get drunk and I’ll be stuck babysitting them for the rest of the night but-“

“Yeah,” Mike cut him off before he could ramble on any more, “I’d like that.”

“Oh, cool,” Will seemed pleasantly surprised.

“I don’t know where the junkyard is,” Mike said awkwardly.

“If you pick me up from work and nine then we could just got together.”

“Alright, see you Saturday.”

“Yeah, see ya.”

Mike waved goodbye as he left the Byers’ house and got into his car, a new light of excitement in his stomach for Saturday.

**

Will walked back into the kitchen to see his mother standing there with her arms crossed.

_Alright_ ,  he thought to himself,  _ this is it, she’s had enough of me.She’s mad at me for slacking and forgetting about dinner and- _

“What happened to your face?”She asked.

“ What?”Will replied, not very sure what she was talking about.

“Your face,” she repeated, more firm this time, “what happened to it?”

It suddenly hit Will what she was talking about.He brought his hand up to touch the bruise under his eye - the same way he had done when Mike had asked earlier.

“I- It was an accident,” he mumbled.

“An accident?”

“I fell.”He decided to omit the tree part of the lie he’d told Mike, cause that obviously didn’t work.

Joyce just stood there for a moment, looking at her son.“What happened Will?”She asked a final time.

“Nothing-“

“Was it one of those boys again?”

Will just stood there silent, bringing his arms in for some kind of comfort.His reaction gave his mother all the information she needed.

“Right,” she said with a sense of finality, making her way out of the kitchen.

Will followed behind her.

“Mom, what’re you doing?”

“I’m not letting them get away with this.”She picked up the phone and started dialling.

“Mom who the hell are you calling?”Will voice was starting to shake. _ Man up and stop blubbering idiot. _

“The school-“

“Mom please don’t-“

“There should still be someone there and if not I can leave a message-“

“Mom-“

“They can’t get away with this again Will I swear to god-“

“Mom!”Will yelled, grabbing at his mother’s sleeve and finally getting her to pay attention to him.“Please don’t do this,” he begged.

“But-“

“It’ll just make things worse... please?”

Joyce finally - looking at the tears gathering in her baby’s eyes - seemed to understand and put the phone down.

She pulled Will into her arms and he gladly shrunk into his mother’s embrace, feeling small and protected although he outgrew her years ago.

“I just hate seeing you hurt sweets,” she spoke into his hair.

“I know,” Will replied into his mother’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry for forgetting about dinner,” Will mumbled after a moment of silence.

“It’s fine sweetheart, you’re allowed to hang around with your friends,” his mother answered sweetly stepping back from the hug.Her being understanding made things so much harder and made him feel worse, like he was taking advantage of her kindness.Will sometimes felt as if it would be easier if his mother just yelled at him.

“I shouldn’t be slacking off,” he continued.

His mother took his face in her hands and made him look her in the eye.“You are many things William Byers, but a slacker is not one of them.You are helpful and kind and hardworking.And _you_ _ are not  _ going to get in trouble for being a teenager and making a little slip up, alright?”Will nodded, to placate his mother more than because he believed her.“Good,” she said softly, pushing a strand of his hair behind his ear.“Let’s go rustle something up, yeah?”

Will followed his mother into the kitchen,  really  wishing that he could believe her.

Even after all these years, he still felt worthless after any tiny slip-up.As if this time was going to be the last straw and his mother would finally loose all patience with him.Or - even worse - that everything  _ He  _ has said about him was completely true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song they were listening to was London Calling for anyone wondering.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter’s a bit late, I was camping and didn’t have any WiFi to get it uploaded.

Will looked up from his food to see Max and Dustin staring at him.“What?”He mumbled, mouth still full of food.

“You invited who?”Dustin asked.

“Mike,” Will said again, trying very hard to act casual.He’d hoped that if he just let it slip out that the news wouldn’t be a big deal.He should’ve known better than to have faith their was someone looking out for him and trying to make his life easy.

“Straight, rich guy that you’re in love with Mike?”Dustinclarified.

“I’m not _in love_ with him,” Will argued.

“You were a couple a days ago,” Max muttered.

“Look, why does that matter?I saw him yesterday, we had a good time and I invited him.End of story.”

“Where exactly did you see him?”Dustin asked.

“He came to see me.”Will looked down at his food, trying to hide how he was glowing at the fact  _ Mike came to see him. _

“William,” Max groaned, putting her head in her hands.

“What?”Will asked, exasperated.

“You’re definitely in love with him,” Dustin said simply.

“I can be friends with a guy and not be in love with him.I’ve never even _slightly_ liked you that way and I’ve known you since fourth grade,” he gestured towards Dustin.

“Wait, you’ve never even had a  tiny  crush on me.Not even a little one?”

“That’s not what we’re talking about,” Max dismissed.“Why did he come and see you?”

Will thought for a moment, before realising that he never actually got to the bottom of that mystery.“I don’t know,” he shrugged.

“You never even asked?”

“No, we were busy.Do you know Mike’s  never  heard of ‘The Clash’?”

“Considering we’ve never met the guy then, no, we didn’t know that,” Dustin said.

Max opened her mouth as if she was about to say something else, but Will just cut her off.“Look, can you please just drop this?I’ve invited him, he’s gonna pick me up from work on and then we’re both gonna meet up with the two of you and that’s the end of it.”

Max and Dustin both had the grace to drop it after that.

“Right, can we get back to the thing about you  never  having a crush on me?”Will rolled his eyes.

“You’re just not my type,” he shrugged.

“So you don’t think I’m bangable?”

“What!No, ew!”

“Ew?!”Dustin didn’t take kindly to that reaction.

“You’re like my brother.That’s just fucking incest,” he explained.

“But still, do I really illicit an ‘ew’- Stop laughing!”He nudged at Max, who - evidenced by the fact she was struggling to breath - was thoroughly entertained by this conversation.

Will couldn’t help but join in.Although Will’s explanation wasn’t the greatest, Dustin was taking this way to seriously.

“So now you’re both laughing?”

“I’m sorry,” Will struggled to get out.

“No you’re not, fuck you both,” Dustin crossed his arms and turned away from them.

“Well from the sounds of it no one here’s fucking you,” Max sniggered, which earned her a pea to the face.

**

Mike had just changed his outfit for the third time. _Third_! He’d never stressed this much about what to wear before, not even when he was thirteen and going out on his first date with El (which admittedly was down to the fact they were just hanging out as they normally would but slapped a different label on it.

He stepped in front of the mirror to examine what he was wearing.His first outfit was just what he’d already been wearing - a knit jumper and basic jeans - but then he panicked and thought that this was the kind of thing you had to dress up for so he changed into a more formal shirt and pants.He then decided that was too much and reverted back to his original outfit.Then he realised that he was literally going to a junkyard and that even his nice knit sweater was probably  too  formal for the occasion.Now, on his third outfit of the night, he felt mostly satisfied.He was wearing a ‘Star Wars’ t-shirt, a hoodie and a pair of jeans.That should be fine, right?

Well, it would have to be cause at that moment Mike checked his watch and discovered it was already nine and he was meant to be picking Will up.

He muttered a quick “ fuck,”  before darting down stairs as fast as he could and grabbing his car keys.

He’d brought up going out to his parents last night during dinner, while they just happened to be in a very intense stare off and didn’t give a damn about what Mike was saying.He’d been able to clear being out for the whole night.Occasionally, having parents who don’t seem to give a shit about your existence can come in handy.

Mike pulled up outside Enzo’s at around nine-thirty.Will was already standing outside, making Mike feel bad about the fact he’d completely lost track of time.

Will climbed into the backseat with a mumbled  “hey,”  clutching a bag close to his chest.

“Hi, sorry I’m late I... lost track of time,” Mike decided against telling the truth, that he’d was running late cause he’d hanged his outfit what felt like a thousand times, just to save face.

“Hey- em- would you mind not looking in the back for a bit?”Will asked apprehensively. “I have to change out of my work clothes and... if it’s not fine then we can always stop by my place but it’ll take longer and-“

“No, it’s fine,” Mike said much too fast.

The next few minutes were... awkward to say the least.

Mike tried his hardest to just keep his eyes on the road, but something made him look in the mirror and into the backseat.

Will had his shirt off. _ Will had his shirt off. _ And he was sitting in the back of Mike’s car,  _ with his shirt off. _

He knew he should turn away but he couldn’t help it.Will was more toned than Mike was.Not exactly muscular, but compared to Mike’s own skinny frame he could be a fucking body builder.

_ Why are you evaluating the way Will looks without a shirt on? _

_ Don’t worry about it, it’s just the same way you look at guys in the locker rooms or the Basketball players when you sit in on practices.You’re just admiring. _

Yeah, that’s all he’s doing... admiring.It’s fine.Nothing weird about that.

However, when Will reaches down and unbuckles his belt, Mike draws the line.Now  that  would be weird.Looking at a guy with his shirt off is one thing.Without his pants... that’s a completely different situation, and one that Mike _doesn’t_ want to find himself in.

Eventually Will climbs into the front seat and the awkwardness subdued and Will started out pointing him in the right direction.

Mike pulled over exactly where he was told too, Will lighting up a cigarette the moment they stepped into the fresh air.

Mike followed Will through the woods until they reached a long stretch of old train tracks.Mike had been wandering along these for years - every child in Hawkins had - but he’d never gone this far down, him Lucas and El normally stopping further back.

The two of them made small talk while walking, asking about each other’s days and how school was going, including an incredibly long rant from Will about how stupid his art teacher was and how prejudice her view on ‘good art’ was.Mike couldn’t help but hang onto every last word Will said, even the ones he didn’t know.Mike knew very little about art so a good chunk of the words Will said just sounded like absolute gibberish, but the passion with which Will said every word had Mike spell-bound.Everything about Will seemed to have him spellbound recently.

After a while of walking, Mike started to hear music coming from near by, and he actually recognised this stuff.It sounded like  The Beach Boys  \- a favourite of his mother’s and a band he heard quite often when she was drunk and nostalgic for a past she’d never get back.

They emerged into the old junkyard, which was full mostly of cars and scrap metal.Mike saw a girl with long, fiery red hair and slightly squint bangs sitting on top of the roof of an old bus, looking down at the boy Mike had seen when he’d driven Will home the other night.The boy - Dustin if Mike could remember correctly - was gently swaying from side to side to the music.He looked kinda out of it.

“Is he drunk already,” Mike nudged Will’s side to get his attention.

“High already is more likely,” Will sniggered.

“Oh!”Mike paused for a moment.He had never been high before, not once in his life.He’d never even been around any kind of drug.

Will turned back around, noticing that Mike was no longer next to him.

“You comin’?”

Mike smiled nervously and walked forward.

“Not your usual scene?”Will asked.

“No, not at all,” Mike scoffed.

“You need me to hold your hand?” Will teased but with no true venom in his mouth.

“Yes please,” Mike blurted before he even new what the fuck he was saying.

_ You’ve really fucked it now Michael.He’s gonna think you’re a goddamn queer or something and never want to see- _

“ Okay.”Mike looked up in shock, to see Will offering his hand, the shadow of a blush creeping on his cheeks.

Mike’s eyes widened, not really sure what to do.He held hands with El on occasion and him and Lucas had held hands when they were younger but he hadn’t held hands with another boy in so long.Because doing  that  became weird after the age of ten.What used to be something so innocent as children became something that seemed perverse and twisted.Mike knew that he  shouldn’t  want to take Will’s hand as much as he was itching too, knew that he shouldn’t want to hold any boy’s hand that badly.

Mike cautiously reached out and placed his hand on top of Will’s, the other boy gently enclosing their hands together with a soft squeeze before dragging Mike towards his friends.

The butterflies that let loose in Mike’s stomach were unbearable.Honestly, it felt more like some kind of massive bird had hatched in there and was now reeking havoc on his intestines and the rest of his stupid body.Why in God’s name did Will make him feel like this?What kind of secret power did this boy have over him that made Mike feel happier than he had in years.What the fuck was wrong with him?

Luckily Mike didn’t get to long to dwell on this subject, as Will’s friend came running up to them and enveloped Will in a hug.

“Byers!”The boy with curly hair yelled.

“Jesus Christ, you’re cheery.How much have you smoked?”Will sniggered.

“Only the normal amount,” the boy reassured him.

“So too much then?”

“Fuck off you dick,” the boy jabbed him in the side before turning his attention towards Mike.

“Hey!This guy!”Mike was now being enveloped in a massive hug by a complete stranger.He kept his arms stock straight by his sides and looked at Will, pleading for help.

He laughed but luckily took pity on Mike and detached his friend from him.

“Mike this is Dustin, he’s clingy when he’s high.”Dustin was now rubbing his nose into Will’s hair.

“Which is the majority of the time.”The girl from the top of the bus had now joined their throng.Dustin gave a yell and then attaches himself to her side.

“And this is Max, she hates everyone.”

“Apart from us,” Dustin snuggled into her side.Max just groaned and tried - and failed - to shake him off.

Mike lazily followed the three of them as if in some sort of trance.He wasn’t a people person, not at all, so meeting two new people his age at the same in such an intense environment was not his ideal situation. 

He was starting to seriously stress out about the fact he was making a terrible first impression and probably seemed like a total dweeb and Will probably thought he was acting like such an asshole cause he hadn’t said a word to his friends and he was completely blowing his shot to get into Will’s life and-

And then Will took his hand again, and everything seemed simple.Sure, that massive bird was back and messing up his stomach, but it was a nicer kind of panic.An excited kind of panic.

The three of them had seemed to have turned one of the old busses into a kind of hang out area.The holes were patched up with pieces of scrap metal, there were old cushions and blankets strewn around the floor to make seats and there were posters of movies and bands plastered over the walls.

“Nice place you got here,” Mike complimented.

“Thanks, we try,” Will replied.Dustin flopped down on a blanket, dragging Will down with him.

“We needed a new place to hang out after we all got to tall for Castle Byers.”Max climbed up the ladder that was sticking out of a whole in the roof.

“What’s Castle Byers?”Mike asked.Will just groaned and buried his head in a pillow.

Max came back down holding the stereo and laughing.“It’s the playhouse that Will and his brother made in the woods when he was a kid.”

“You built a playhouse?”Mike asked.

“It was fucking epic,” Dustin said, gazing dreamily off into space.

“It wasn’t that cool.It was some sticks and blankets.And my brother did most of the work cause I sucked at hammering.”Mike couldn’t help but smile at the idea of tiny Will trying to use a hammer properly.He probably stuck out his tongue.

“But still, it was a great hangout.We used to chill and read comics and play in the woods,” Max explained.

“Oh to be a child again,” Dustin said dreamily.

“Don’t get all existential on us tonight, Henderson,” Max groaned. 

Mike was still just awkwardly standing around, not sure what too do with himself.He felt something cool against his leg and looked down to see Max offering him a bottle of beer.

Mike took it from her, just too avoid being rude and also because he didn’t know how to say no.

“You can sit down you know,” Max said.

“Oh em-“

“We get you’re nervous and shit but you don’t need to be.We’re not gonna judge you for shit.”Mike thought that Dustin was completely out of it, but he still seemed to be able to pick up on Mike’s body language.

“Dustin!”Will elbowed him in the side.

“What, it’s true.”

“Even if this stupid pot head didn’t say things right, he’s got the sentiment.”Max said.

“Yeah, we really can’t judge anyone.”Mike looked over to see Will smiling at him and his whole heart grew a thousands times bigger, while also slowing down its rapid beating and calming him down.With that he slowly sat down and started to enjoy the night.

He mostly stayed out of the conversations at first due to the inside jokes and references he didn’t understand, but slowly found his groove in discussing movies and science with Dustin and video games with Max.He and Max did however get into multiple incredibly stupid arguments about the most ridiculous things that Dustin and Will had to break up for them.

Will eventually took over the music, exclaiming that he was tired of Max’s ‘old shit’ and taking out her mixtape and replacing it with his own.

As the night went on they migrated outside so that Dustin and Max at their increasing levels drunkness were able to dance with more ease.Even Mike was feeing tipsy at this point but he remained at the side of the dance floor. 

Mike never danced.He had no rhythm and incredibly long limbs which just flailed everywhere.He usually tripped over his own feet even trying to walk, so dancing was something he tried to stay away from at all costs.

Unfortunately, Will had other plans for tonight.

A new song came on and Will yelled with utter delight.He looked adorable when he was excited.

Mike saw him running over as fast as he could.

“Come on, this song is brilliant, you  have  to join in!”

“No, I’m really terrible-“

“So am I!”Will grabbed onto his hands and dragged him up.“Come oooon!”

Mike reluctantly let himself be taken over to where Dustin and Max were standing.He was already tripping over his own feet.He tried to tell Will this but he either didn’t hear or decided not to give Mike an answer.

_ Today can last another million years _

_ Today could be the end of me _

_ It's 11:59, and I want to stay alive _

Will started to dance and sing along to the lyrics, trying his hardest to move Mike’s along with him.

_ Pumping like a fugitive in cover from the night _

_ Take it down the freeway like a bullet to the ocean _

_ Wait until the morning, take tomorrow by the hand _

_ Take it down the highway like a rocket to the ocean, we can run _

Will’s enthusiasm was so contagious that Mike couldn’t help but start to move and smile along with him.

_ Today can last another million years _

_ Today could be the end of me _

_ It's 11:59, and I want to stay alive _

The two boys did some kind of awkward jumping dance, running around in circles until they were too dizzy to stand and fell on their backs in a fit of giggles.

“See, I told you it didn’t matter!” Will guffawed.

“Okay you were right!”

After they both calmed down, Mike noticed that he was still gripping on to Will’s hand for dear life, and that he didn’t want to let go - not for anything.

They both turned their heads towards each other at the same time.When Mike met Will’s eyes, the rest of the world disappeared and - for a moment - it was just the two of them, enchanted by nothing but each other.Mike felt as if he was floating.It was beyond any other feeling in the galaxy, no, the  universe. He finally felt as if he belonged.

“Get up you idiot,” Max blundered over to them and dragged Will onto his feet.Mike came crashing down to earth with a force that he didn’t believe possible.

In a haze he watched as Will was taken away from him and returned to his friends.To where  he  really belonged.

Although Will was only a few steps away, it felt like a thousand miles in Mike’s own mind.Felt as if the world was saying,  _ that’s where you really belong, apart.You’re not meant to be next to each other, it’s  not right. _

And that hurt like hell.

**

Mike was helping Will support both Dustin and Max who were barely conscious at this point and mumbling nonsense words.

“Ithemberem!”

“Keep it down you idiot, my mom’s asleep!”Will hissed at Dustin’s nonsense.Mike just sniggered to himself.

“You too idiot.”Will shot him an angry look.A look that made Mike’s legs turn to jelly.

They eventually got both Max and Dustin into Will’s room, where there were two sleeping bags and pillows on the floor - one on the left of Will’s bed and the other at the foot of it.

Will just unceremoniously dumped his friends on the ground with very little care and an angry grumble.

“Shouldn’t we... you know,” Mike gestured towards them basically unconscious on the ground.

“They’ll be fine,” Will groaned, taking his shoes off and getting into bed.“They always are.”

“How often does this happen?”

“At least once a month.It’s fun when it’s happening but dealing with the fallout is... not great,” he looked as if he was having war flashbacks.Mike just laughed at him.

“So... I guess I’ll go sleep in the couch?”Mike hadn’t really thought this far.He hadn’t even planned to stay over at Will’s but he didn’t trust himself to drive home tipsy.He’d barely made it to Will’s in one piece.

“You could just... share my bed,” Will suggested.“I mean- only if you want to-“

“Okay.”The alcohol must be helping with his confidence.

“Okay,” Will smiled at him awkwardly.

Mike tiptoed around the sleeping bodies on the ground so that he was sitting on the opposite side of the bed too Will.He took his shoes and jacket off and set them next to the bed.Will was already under the covers.Mike crawled in next to him.They were facing each other.

“Hi,” Mike whispered.

“Hi,” Will giggled back.God that laugh, that smile.It was like the first glimmers of sunshine after a long winter, the beginning of a shower after a long drought.Able to create whole worldS or run through your life and completely destroy it.To Mike, that laugh was everything.

“I had fun tonight,” he whispered, again.

“So did I.”

“I never usually have fun at stuff like that.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should.” They smiled sleepily at each other.

All of a sudden, the smile dropped off of Will’s face.As if some kind of switch had been flipped in his brain, telling him to discard of his hope and happiness.

He rolled over onto his other side, so that he was facing away from Mike.

“Goodnight Mike.”He sounded almost  stern.

“‘Night Will,” Mike replied softly.

Luckily, he didn’t get long to examine Will’s rapidly changing emotions, as he fell into his own, dreamless sleep.

**

Mike’s head felt fuzzy, like someone had shoved wool into his ear and it had wrapped around his brain - and not in a good way.There was also a bright light creating kaleidoscope patterns on the inside of his eyelids.He slowly opened his eyes to take in his surroundings.Dustin was still asleep on the floor next to him.As he sat up, he noticed that Max was also still asleep on the floor at the end of bed.The alarm clock to his side told him it was seven-thirty in the morning.Mike was  never  up this early on a Sunday, especially if he’d been drinking - admittedly he didn’t drink very often and had never actually been  _ drunk  _ in his life, he’s never even gone beyond tipsy.

While looking at the clock, his eyes were drawn towards the window and the boy sitting next to it.Will’s desk was pushed right up next to the window sill and he’d seemed to have found a way to manoeuvre the piles of papers and pencils scattered around the surface so that he was sitting next to the window and smoking.

He looked gorgeous - the early morning light shining against his face and casting shadows around his cheek bones, making them more prominent.It was creating highlights in his hair and the smoke coming out of his mouth in gentle puffs looked much less vicious when streaked in light.

“You’re up early.”Mike jumped as Will finally seemed to notice that not  everyone  in his room was dead to the world.

“So are you,” he replied, getting out of the bed and walking towards Will.

“But I’m always up this early,” Will explained, “I doubt you are.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Cause you look like death,” Will smirked.

“I do not!”

“Yes you do.”

“You’re the one who’s trying to  catch  death,” Mike gestured towards to cigarette in Will’s hand.

Will’s smile fell from his face and he solemnly turned his head back to the window.Mike realised he’d touched a nerve.

He pulled himself upset onto the desk and settled next to Will.“I’m sorry.I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s cool,” Will shrugged, although it obviously  was not cool.“I know I shouldn’t but...” He just shook his head and took another long inhale.“I really can’t explain it.”

Mike decided to just leave it there.He understood that sometimes you had feelings you couldn’t name or explain to save your goddamn life.

“Looks like they’re still out of it,” he shrugged towards Dustin and Max who were still asleep on the floor.

Will chuckled.“They won’t be awake for  a while  yet.They’re always like this after they drink.”

“Why don’t you... drink, I mean?”Mike explained when he saw the confusion on Will’s face.

“I don’t like the idea of... loosing control, I guess.That I could do or say something stupid and fuck everything up.I’m just scared.”

He looked distant as he explained himself.Like this was an answer he’d had in his brain for a long time, just waiting for someone to bring it up to him.Or maybe it was because he  wanted  to distance himself from the explanation, and that there was more to it than just the fear of doing something stupid.Or there was more  _ behind  _ his fear of doing something stupid.

Mike sat and listened to the birds chirping in the early morning sunshine.It was a nice sound, it made him feel calm.Or that could just be his company that was making him feel relaxed.The more time went on, the less nervous he felt around Will and the more at home he felt in the other boy’s presence.

“It’s nice out here,” Mike said, looking out at the trees and overgrown grass.It was refreshing when compared to the perfectly mown suburban lawns that Mike normally woke up next to.

“You really think so?”Will asked.

“Yea.It looks natural.”

Will just shrugged noncommittally.“It’s kinda boring though.And it can get lonely sometimes.Especially in Winter when no one’s really around.”

“Still, I like it.”

Will didn’t reply and instead just stumped out his cigarette on the windowsill and jumped down from the desk.

“I need to make breakfast.My mom’ll be up soon.”

Will scarpered out of the conversation, as if he had been burnt.Mike wondered why Will seemed to act like this whenever the conversation got to personal.It was almost like whenever he started to open up he would get scared and then close again.

It was almost as if he was afraid that Mike would hurt him in some way, which he’d  never  do.The idea of anyone harming Will made his body start to burn in anger, just like when he first saw the bruises on his face.He couldn’t bare the thought of hurting Will.Not now, not ever.

**

Will waved Mike off in his car before taking a deep breath in and unclenching his shoulders.That wasn’t so bad.It’s not like whenever he was around Mike his heart started to beat ten times faster than it normally did.Or that when Mike took his hand he felt like he was about to faint.He’d only had to stop himself from doing something  incredibly  stupid twice.He could totally make this friendship thong work.

With that set in his mind he made his way back to his room to find Max and Dustin chatting on his bed.They stopped talking the minute he walked into the room.

“What’ve i done now?”He groaned.

Max and Dustin just looked at each other apprehensively.

“Come on, spit it out!”

“Max was right,” Dustin sighed.

“Yeah she usually is,” he laughed.If that’s all that was going on then no big deal.Max and Dustin got into stupid arguments all the time, and Max was normally right.

“About Mike liking you,” Max clarified. Oh.

Will just sat down on his bed.“And where exactly did you get this from?”

“Last night, when the two of you were dancing,” Dustin explained.

“And?Dancing with someone doesn’t mean you  like  them.I dance with you two all the time!”

“It was more when you fell on the ground together.”He furthered.

Will buried his face in his hands.He couldn’t be bothered with this.

“I came to drag you away cause I could  tell  you were about to do something stupid.But his face when I took you away from him... it looked like his whole world had just collapsed in around him.”

Will just shook his head furiously and stood up as his friends continued too jabber on.

“Listen, if he likes you then you  have  to be careful, Will.I don’t trust him.”

“Why?”Will rounded on Max.“Cause he likes ‘Space Invaders’ over ‘Dig Dug’?Or cause he thinks ‘Star Wars’ is better than ‘Star Trek’? Which it is by the way.”He called back too just  two  of the ridiculous arguments that Mike and her had gotten into last night.

“No, cause guys like Mike very rarely have your best interests in mind,” Dustin said.

“What do you mean ‘guys like Mike’?Just cause he has money doesn’t automatically mean-“

“Shut up, you sound like fucking Molly Ringwald in ‘Pretty in Pink’” Max rolled her eyes.

“And I thought  you  liked him?”He gestured towards Dustin.

“I  do. I think he seems pretty cool but that  doesn’t  mean we can’t be cautious.”

“Cautious?About what?”

“You don’t exactly have the best track record Will,” Dustin said bluntly.

“You’re not still on  that  are you?”

“He’s right.Every time some douche-bag comes into your life like a fucking tornado and wrecks it you say that live learned your lesson and you’ll never do it again, but a few months later you’re falling head over heals for the first idiot that calls you cute!”

“I can look after myself.I’m not weak,” he insisted, but his resolve was falling.As he’d said earlier, Max was usually right.

“We know that,” she softened.“We just want you to be careful.”

“And I will be,” he insisted.

“That’s all we ask for.”Max gestured that the conversation was over and they fell into silence.Will just kinda stood there, rubbing his arm in comfort.

“...Anyone wanna smoke?”Dustin broke the silence.

Will rolled his eyes at him.Of course that was Dustin’s contribution to the situation.

“My mom’s home.”Although Will knew his mother didn’t really care about them smoking, he didn’t fell comfortably doing it right under her nose.

“Fine,” he pouted.“Anyone wanna go into the woods and sit with me while I smoke,” he suggested.

Will looked at Max incredulously, however they both knew they’d go with him.The three of them would follow each other anywhere.

“Fine, but I have work at four, remember.”

Dustin whooped and jumped up from the bed, dragging Max with him.

They set off into the woods together,Will’s mind set on how careful he was going to be, how he was t going to fall into the same traps he always did with Mike, how he was  really  going to try and make their friendship work and how everything was going to be just fine.

However when you make plans the universe laughs, and things very rarely turn out how you want them to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The soNg they were listening to was ‘11:59’ by Blondie.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little PSA before we get going with the chapter.
> 
> So, when I first started uploading this fic i had four chapters completely finished and my plan was to write about a chapter a week so that I could do weekly updates. However i grossly over-estimated how quickly i can write and how much i can procrastinate and I've run out of chapters. I'll also be starting college again soon which will give me less time to write so I'm going to aim for at least one update a month, hopefully more. I hope everyone can understand that I started this because I enjoyed writing and was interested in getting feedback on what I wrote but there's no point in me doing this if I'm rushing and do't enjoy what I'm doing.
> 
> TW for mentions of alcoholism, abuse and discussions on whether or not our lives have any meaning.

Will wasn’t one-hundred percent sure how he’d ended up here.He had a vague memory of him and Mike standing outside of his home on Saturday morning as Mike was about to leave and deciding to see each other after school on Monday.Now, he was driving through the luxurious, suburban houses of Upper-Hawkins in Mike’s sleek car.

He very rarely ventured into Upper-Hawkins for anything other than work, mostly because he had no reason too.He didn’t know anyone who lived here and couldn’t afford anything in the shop’s or cafe’s so there was no point in even coming out for a day trip.

However the few times he had passed through these neighborhoods in his short life, he always felt a sense of envy when going past houses like these and thinking of the lifestyles the people who lived there got to experience.Sometimes it was a more ‘I want to be you’ type of envy, where he just wished he could wake up the next morning with the perfect family and perfect life where you can just stand on piles of money to reach your aspirations and not even need to stand on your toes since you have years and years of support pushing you up to success.

The other type of envy was harder.This was the ‘I fucking hate you and want you all to suffer’ type of envy.These thoughts always left a pool of guilt dwelling in Will’s mind since he knew that the state of society wasn’t really down to these individuals, that they were just going through the motions of what they’d been taught was the norms.However, people with money, power and privilege didn’t really seem to do much to change the way that society was built, they seemed happy to continue giving their children, grandchildren and so on the upper hand.

They enjoyed closing their eyes to what’s really going on in the world and relaxing in the ignorance that their privilege allowed them.They can pretend to give a passing damn about the issues of the underclass but do  nothing  to actually help them in the long run.They can host an occasional fundraiser or donate some old clothes or let out an ‘it must be so awful’ in passing but will never want to challenge the actual structures in place which leads to people’s suffering because  that  would make  them  uncomfortable.

For those reasons, Will really did have a deep seated hatred for people with money and privilege.Him - and other people who feel as if they’ve been left behind by a society who doesn’t care - can joke about hating the ruling class, but all of those jokes have a foundation in truth, a foundation in pain.

Mike pulled up in front of a large house at the end of the end of the culdesac. It was the kind of house that Will thought only belonged in movies and dreams. He thought that these kind of homes were a myth and that no one _real_ could live in one. The people from the nice houses at the end of the culdesacs were filled with visions of perfection, not real people.

"This is yours?" He asked Mike.

Mike casually nodded and slipped out of the car, again, not even blinking at the lavish lifestyle he lead.

Will followed him out and up the path of the perfectly mown lawn - so the opposite Will's own - and through the ornate front door.  Mike’s house was... it was perfect.Like a home from a sitcom that was filled with happy, perky people - filled with a family. Although they had only just made it through the front door Will could see that there were two living rooms. _Two!_ Who in God's name needed two living rooms? They probably had two bathrooms as well. What was the point in two bathrooms, couldn't they all just wait?

Mike seemed to be trying to rush up the stairs as fast as he could, grabbing hold of Will's sleeve with a mumbled, "come on."

"Michael? Is that you?" A voice came from a room off to their side.

"Yeah mom, it's us." Mike didn't sound particularly happy at the fact they'd been spotted.

"What're you doing home so early?" A woman - who looked about the same age as Will's own mother - came bustling through. She had shoulder length, light brown hair, deep brown eyes and wore an salmon, knit sweater and knee length, tweed brown skirt. Will couldn't help but notice her and Mike had the same eyes.

"Em- I didn't stick around for El and Lucas. Me and Will just came back here instead."

"Who's Will-" The woman stopped in her path when she saw Will. She looked as if she'd just seen a ghost. Will had zero idea why. The bruises on his faced had mostly cleared up by now, he didn't think he had anything on his teeth or something like that.

"Eh- this is Will," Mike gestured over to him. He seemed unsure at how his mother actions as well.

"Hi," he awkwardly raised his hand.

Mike's mother visibly shook her head - most likely to clear her thoughts - and seemed to check back into reality. "Will... yes. It's lovely to meet you. Karen Wheeler." She stuck her hand out,  Will took it and gently shook it. "What did you em- say your surname is?"

"Well I didn't but it's Byers."

"Byers." Karen whispered. Her eyes seemed to glaze over with... Will wasn't sure what, it didn't quite look like tears, it was more a strange mist - as mist of the past.

"Alright," Mike said slowly. "We're gonna go upstairs." Karen still didn't respond. Mike gave another tug on Will's sleeve to direct him upstairs. That was probably the strangest first meting Will had ever had.

They walked up the fresh, clean blue carpet up to Mike's bedroom which looked like something out of an interior design magazine (not that Will had ever read an interior design magazine but he'd assume they looked something like Mike's bedroom.) Everything looked brand new, as if his room had _just_ been re-done. There was a large double bed with deep blue bed-sheets matching the colour of the walls. The dresser, wardrobe, end-tables and desk all matched perfectly. The only thing that actually made it look like a teenagers room was the clutter; the homework papers scattered all across the floor, the dirty laundry everywhere and movie posters all over the walls. The room looked like it had been designed with little thought to Mike, with little consideration to how his things were going to fit in as the stuff that looked as if it was most used stuck out like a sore thumb as they just _didn't fit._

Mike threw his bag down on his bed and took his shoes off. "Sorry about her. She's never usually that fucking weird," Mike explained, looking confused at his mother's actions.

“It's cool. Human beings  in general are fucking weird,” Will laughed.

“What do you mean?”Mike asked, sitting down on his bed.

“It’s just that...” Will struggled to come up with the right words.He’d never had to voice this theory of his out loud before- well, he’d at least never had to find the words while of complete sound, mind and body.“Our lives mean nothing, absolutely nothing.We’re just tiny little specs of nothingness clinging to this stupid lump of rock and dirt that’s floating in endless nothingness.But we can’t accept that,” he explained.“Human beings are so fucking desperate for our lives to  mean something  that we made up all these intricate rituals.We made up languages, money, class systems.We put groups off people in these little boxes and try to keep them in line.Everything is made up.It  doesn’t matter. But we just... keep on going.We don’t question it we don’t change it.It’s insane when you think about it.”

He finished with an awkward little cough, realising he’d probably rambled far too much and absolutely nothing he’d said had made any sense to anyone but him.

“If you get what I mean...”. He tired to wrap up his point... not that he really had a point.His speech was more just garbled late night thoughts that he tired his hardest to string together.

“I think it has meaning,” Mike answered.

Will looked over at him in surprise.The most he’d been expecting was for Mike to laugh him off with a small “you’re crazy.”

“How?Like i said, it’s all made up.How can something made up have meaning?”

“It’s just like you said, we made it up to  give our lives meaning. Life has meaning cause... we give it meaning,” Mike explained.Will was awestruck.He’d never thought of it that way before.People had only ever agreed with his ‘life is bullshit, everything means nothing’ approach to life or they’d written him of as ‘crazy’ or said that he ‘thinks too much”.

Suddenly, muffled yelling came from downstairs. Will tensed for a moment - paralyzed with fear - before having to remind himself that _this wasn't his house._ However when he heard the muffled yelling of adults, his mind automatically went to, _your parents are arguing, get the fuck out before it gets bad._ It still took a moment to re-wire his mind, to remind himself that it wasn't his parents arguing, his father was gone, that he was safe and that the person suffering in _this_ moment was-

Mike was looking down at his lap, his hands fidgeting. "Sorry, they'll stop in a minute... hopefully," he sighed. Will looked over sympathetically, knowing _exactly_ what Mike was feeling. That embarrassment of bringing someone into your home only to have your parents ruin what should be a fun time with their own issues.

"It's fine."

Will turned as he heard the door creak open, revealing a small girl with blonde pigtails and deep brown eyes, the same as Mike's. She nervously looked at Will, obviously not sure what this stranger was doing in her brother's room. "Hi." He gave her a small wave, trying to make her feel more comfortable.

"Holls, this is Will. Will, this is my sister Holly." Holly walked into the room, the sight of her brother setting her at ease. Mike seemed significantly more cheerful than he did only moments ago, the forced smile finding its way onto his face. Will could remember his own brother doing the same - shoving a smile onto his face to try and make it seems as if everything was _just fine._ "What's up?" Mike pulled his sister onto his lap, turning her face towards his own. Holly just shrugged softly. Mike sighed gently. His parents were still arguing. "What about we go out and get some ice-cream?" Holly's face immediately lit up and she nodded vigorously. Mike's face suddenly fell and he directed his attention towards Will. "Is that okay with you?"

"Totally," he nodded. "I love ice cream."

"Okay. I'll just go get her stuff. You gonna come?" He offered Holly his hand. She happily took a hold and skipped out of the room with Mike by her side.

The door shut and Will was standing in the middle of the room, all alone. He knew he should just stay where he was, but his curiosity got the better of him and he had a little snoop - which he knew was a little weird but he's an idiot with a crush so give him a break.

Mike's bookshelf was completely crowded, with not a spot of dust on any book. It was obvious they are all well read and loved. There was a lot of Steven King, comic-books (old and new), a large collection of Star Wars novels (Will didn't even know they made those), Lord of the Rings and other works by Tolkien (he could remember him and Jonohthan reading those books together when he was young. He could still remember most of the plot but the details were blurry. Maybe he could borrow Mike's copies and reread them all) and stacks of novels that Will had never heard of. The only books that he'd recently read willingly were the 'Tales of the City' books by Armistead Maupin, which Johnathan had gifted him. Johnathan had discovered the books after his first year in New York for college. Will had only recently come out to Max and Dustin, coming out to his family wasn't even in question at the time, when Johnathan turned up with the first novel in the series. His brother had given it to him in private, conscious that Will maybe wouldn't want it within prying eyes. Will had unwrapped it and gazed up at his brother in disbelief.

"I haven't read and enjoyed anything since 'Lord of the Rings'," he'd laughed at his brother.

"Yeah, but this is different. Just give it a chance, I'll think you'll like it."

Unconvinced, Will had opened the book for the first time that night. In the corner of the first page was scribbled a note;

- _Dear Will,_

_Remember, never like anything because people tell you your supposed to, being a freak is the best and that I will always love you - no matter what._

Keeping the words of wisdom he'd heard his brother repeat over the years he'd started to read. Near the beginning of the book, Will had almost choked. _There were queer people in this book._ Not only that, one of the main characters was gay. Will connected that dots and realised that his brother _knew._ He'd walked into Johnathan's room (Will was still in his old room at that time) in tears. Johnathan comforted him, telling him it was _alright,_ that he'd always known and that it didn't matter to him, it never had.

"Are you sure," Will had sobbed, looking up at his brother, at the only father figure he'd ever had.

"Of course. Why else do you think i got you that book?"

Will had found himself completely caught up in the adventures of Mary-Anne, Michael, Mona, Brian, Jon and Mrs Madrigal. The only time he'd ever seen people like him in the media was News Reports on people dying horribly of aids, this was completely different. These characters were well rounded people with interests and dreams.  He'd begged Johnathan to buy him the rest of the books for the following Birthdays and Christmases. Over that time he'd learned learned about transsexuals, that there were people who weren't just gay or straight but into guys and girls, that there really were other people out there like him. He'd learned more about himself and the world around him from those novels than he's ever done in school. He was waiting for Johnathan to get his hands on a copy of the fourth book for Christmas so he could continue reading. He'd been waiting to find out what was going to happen for over a _year_ and he was getting impatient. 

Will brushed his fingers against the bent spines of the books on front of him before walking over to Mike's desk, taking notice of a notebook. Like the books on Mike's shelf it was obviously used frequently with wrinkled pages. Nearly all of them looked filled. He opened the book to a random page, messy writing that Will could only _just_ make out scribbled over the page.

_ ‘The trees reach up into the heavens, their colourful leaves falling onto the ground.They’re bright pastel colours - green, yellow and pink - clashing gorgeously with the thin, blue trunks.As you look at the thin trunks and swirling branches you’d wonder how the trees managed to stay upright - how the weight of the world didn’t easily topple them in a second flat, how they were able to grow this tall and survive so many bleak winter nights.It must be some kind of witch craft. _

_ As the leaves gently float down you might mistake them for butterflies - stretching their wings for the first time to escape the constricting confines of their previous lives, only to find that they land somewhere worse than where they began.With no air to guide them away from their mistakes, they’re left to be crumpled under the feet of those who step on them without any care for what beauty they may ruin.’ _

Did Mike write that? Will had no idea that he could write. Will was constantly drawing his own stories but got stuck on the words, writing just wasn't something he excelled at. He'd been wishing for someone who could paint words onto his pictures for so long. Maybe he'd finally found someone? _Stop dreaming Byers. Mike's straight, no matter what bullshit Max and Dustin come up with you know a straight guy when you see him. He's your friend, nothing more._

Will slammed the book back onto the desk as he heard the door open behind him, turning around with wide and guilty eyes.

"You good?" Mike asked, confusion written over his face.

"Yup," Will replied quickly.

"Okay," Mike said slowly. "You ready to go, Holly's getting impatient," he finished with a small laugh.

"Oh, yeah," Will nodded vigorously, following Mike out of the room.

**

Holly was trying to balance on the curb of the sidewalk and keep her ice cream from falling to the ground, closely followed by Mike and Will, who were also enjoying ice-creams.

“Sorry about this,” Mike mumbled, “I know this is t exactly what you thought we’d be doing but-“

“It’s fine, really,” Will required him.“You’re a good brother.”

Mike scoffed at him.

“You  are ,” Will budge him in the side.“And she really appreciates this,” he gestured towards Holly.“She might not show it or even realise how much she appreciates this now but... she does.”

“You speaking from experience?”Mike was obviously trying to keep his tone light, but that didn’t stop Will from starting to panic.

He had to make a split-second decision - stay a closed book and protect himself, or open up and risk falling further into the hole he was digging himself.Since Will is an idiot with no self-preservation instincts, he chooses the latter.

“Sorry, you don’t need to answer that.”

“It’s fine.And I do- know from experience that is,” Will explained.

“I’m sorry.”He really did look Sorry, look sympathetic.

“It’s cool,” Will shrugged off.“Except I was the younger sibling, not the older.Whenever shit was going crazy then my brother used to just... sweep me up out of it.”

“Nancy just took  herself out of it,” Mike said, a look of hurt on his face.

“Who?”

“My sister,” Mike let out a sigh before continuing.“Shit didn’t get bad with my parents until like, three years ago or something,” he explained.“I mean, they obviously never loved each other but they were civil enough.My sister left for college two years back and she never even calls or anything.Never checks in to make sure stuffs okay.She comes back for Christmas but even then we never talk.I wish we did.”

Mike looked so despondent, like he would be happy to let the clouds take him in.Will wanted to do something to help.So he did something both incredibly brave and incredibly stupid, he opened up  even more. 

“My dad was a alcoholic,” he blurted out quickly before he could loose his nerve.“That’s why I don’t drink.”Mike turned his attention towards him.

“He would get  really  angry when he drank.He would scream and yell and... it just wasn’t good.I’m scared that I’ll be just like him.That’s why I smoke and stuff but never drink, I don’t trust myself.”

“Shit, now I feel bad,” Mike said with a humourless laugh.

“Why?”That hadn’t been Will’s plan, he’d wanted to show Mike that there was  someone  who sympathised with him.

“I’m complaining about my parents having a little argument every now and then but it sounds like you had it a lot worse.”He kicked at a stone on the pavement as they walked.

Will reached out to put his hand on Mike’s arm.Some guys were weird about affection, even platonic affection so Will had zero idea as to how Mike would react to his touch.He could easily throw the well meaning boy off, spit in his face and never want to see him again.

Mike jumped at the touch, and Will started to expect the worse, however Mike didn’t pull away.Instead, he paused and turned towards Will.

“Don’t say that.Just cause your pain is different doesn’t mean it’s any less important.”

Mike gave him a smile and a look that communicated more than thousands of words could do.And Will just couldn’t help it, his eyes flickered down to Mike’s lips for a moment - full and a pretty shade of pink - and he  swore  that Mike’s eyes flickered down as well.

Unfortunately, their moment ended with a yelp from Holly who had stumbled off the kerb and onto the road.

“Holls!”Mike ran off to drag her back into the pavement.“How many times, you don’t walk on the kerb!”Will couldn’t help but smileat the way Mike waved his finger in his sisters face as he told her off.He started to make his way towards the pair.

“I didn’t even hurt myself,” Holly pouted and shook her arm out of her brother’s grip.“And I didn’t  fall  it was just a stumble.”

“But you  could  have dropped your ice cream.”This seemed to get through to Holly, whose eyes widened as she brought her ice cream closer to her chest.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, looking up at her brother with big eyes.

“It’s fine,” Mike rolled his eyes and straightened up.

Holly immediately perked up.“Can we go to the park?”She asked eagerly, already bouncing with excitement.

Will caught up with the two of them and Mike gave him a quick look.“I don’t know,” he mumbled.

“It’s fine with me,” Will shrugged back.

“Really?”Mike asked, an apologetic grimace on his face.

“Yes, really,” Will reassured him.

This finally seemed to set Mike’s mind at ease, as he agreed and Holly gave him a big hug as thanks.Will couldn’t help but smile at Mike and Holly’s relationship.It really did remind him of himself and Johnathan in a sense.

He’s so cute... and I’m so incredibly fucked.

**

Karen’s hands were shaking as she made her way up stairs.She shouldn’t have started yelling at Ted, she had no reason to, he just came in and asked how her day was and she went crazy.Normally she got on him about  not  asking her those things, however she was on edge.That boy, Will Byers... he looked so much like his mother.

She slipped into her room and reached under her bed, aiming for the old shoe box she hadn’t touched in what felt like lifetimes.Even when she’d had too much to drink and was feeling particularly nostalgic she would keep these painful memories at bay.

She sat on the side of her and her husband’s bed and tapped her fingers on the edge of the box, deciding if she was really going to let this set of memories loose in her home.Ted had sulked off to the garage, Mike had taken Holly out for ice cream, she was completely alone.Karen took a deep breath in and lifted the lid.

Her breath hitched the moment she caught a peek of what was inside.The first thing she noticed was the small broach.Shaped like a bird on a tree branch it was nothing compared to the gorgeous jewels she owned today, however it was still the most gorgeous thing Karen had ever been gifted.She gently took it into her hand, careful not to prick herself on the delicate spike of the past and admired the gift she had been given all those years ago.

_ “How did you afford this?”She gasped as she opened the red, velvet box. _

_ “Don’t worry about it,” Joyce shrugged. _

Karen took another deep breath in and eventually set the broach to the side, now picking up the leather notebook that was covered in doodles.She grazed her hand softly over a small marking in the corner which made her heart spike dangerously:  _ J + K_

She opened up the first page to see the deadened wild flowers pressed between the pages.

_ “For you my dear.”Joyce handed over the flowers doing some ridiculous bow . _

_ Karen shoved at her shoulder.“You’re such an idiot,” she giggled, but took the flowers anyway. _

She flipped through the pages, skimming through the diary entries of days gone by.

_ ‘She held my hand today.My whole body started buzzing.I’ve never felt like that before.’ _

While she was flipping through, a small photo fell from between the pages.It gently fluttered to the ground and Karen picked it up by the frayed and delicate edges.It was of the two of them, sitting on Joyce’s back porch.There was a cigarette in Joyce’s hand, but they were probably sharing it between them.Who took that picture?Maybe it was Joyce’s sister, she hung out with them a lot.However it was usually just the two of them.How many hours did they spend there, taking about their lives, futures and dreams

“ _I saw you today.”_

_ Joyce looked at her, confusion written on her face. _

_ “With Jim Hopper,” she continued.“Between fifth and sixth, when you were smoking.” _

_ “Are you jealous,” Joyce smirked, elbowing her in the side. _

_ “Everyone knows he had a crush on you,” Karen muttered, swinging her legs back and forth, her feet brushing against the grass. _

_ “He’s nothing compared to you.”Joyce took her hand with a soft squeeze.There was dirt under her nails.Did she ever wash her hands?Karen found that she didn’t care. _

_“I know.”She reached her hand over to brush against Joyce’s ripped stockings.Her stockings were always ripped_.

Karen smiled sadly at the young girl in the photo, the girl she could barely recognize as herself. The girl with so many dreams of how she was going to escape this poisoned town and change the world. Dreams aren’t practical.

Suddenly, she heard the front door slam shut and the giggle of her youngest child sound through the house.Karen blinked away her tears and shoved everything back into the old shoe-box, jumping and and pushing it under the bed.She reminded herself of where she was, in the present, not the past.She couldn’t turn back the clock, no matter how much she wanted too.

She stood in front of the mirror and straightened herself out - hoping her children wouldn’t notice her blotchy, tear stained eyes - before opening her bedroom door and returning too life, because - as they say - times arrow neither stands still or reverses, it merely marches forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you have read Tales of the City then I love you because the only other people I know who have read it are my mam and granny who very quickly got sick of me ranting about how Michael and Jon deserved better.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... that took a bit longer to finish than I expected it to.
> 
> The only excuse I can give is that college is a piece of shit - especially with home learning on top of that - and has been kicking my ass. I'm not even gonna say that the next chapter will be out any sooner cause I don't wanna make promises I can't keep, but I will say that I really don't wanna abandon this fic even if at this rate it'll take me around five years to finish (which'll probably be when we get the next season of Stranger Things honestly),
> 
> Again, sorry this took so long especially considering it's mostly a bunch of filler but some shit will be going down next chapter, I promise. Hope it's not too terrible.
> 
> Also I changed my username since I finally came up with something more interesting than just my name.

“So then I was like, ‘fine fuck you I’m staying at Will’s tonight’ and then-“

Will and Rebecca stepped off the bus and Will got his torch out so he could lead them down the gravelly road towards his house.

Rebecca had turned up at work that Saturday morning with an overnight bag, proclaiming that she’d fallen out with her mom again and was staying at his place that night.Will didn’t argue, there was no use in arguing with Rebecca when her face was set in stone like that.He’d been treated to the whole story about how she’d fallen out with her mom on their way from work, but his mind had been elsewhere.

His mind was focused on the only thing it seemed to be focused on these days; which was  Mike.

After Monday’s success they’d hung out everyday after school that week - excluding Tuesday and Wednesday cause that was when Will had work.After Monday Mike also decided it would be better for them to hang out at Will’s, which he was fine with.Will could remember when his parents would fight all the time, he’d  hated  bringing friends to his place.

His mind was more specifically on a conversation they’d had yesterday when they’d been lying on Will’s bed and listening to music - he’d decided it was time to introduce Mike to ‘The Damned’.

“Come on, you must have a big dream,” Mike had urged him, “everyone does.”

“Well do you?” he’d countered.

“Of course,” Mike shrugged.

“Then you go first,” he insisted.

“Alright.I want to be a writer.”

Will’s mind was brought back to the notebook crammed full of messy paragraphs.It made sense.

“What kinda stuff do you wanna write?”

“Everything,” Mike sighed dreamily.“But mostly I want to be a mix between like Tolkien and Steven King.”

Will scoffed.“So like fantasy-horror?”

“And some sci-fi,” he added with a point of his finger.

“How in God’s name would you pull that off?”He laughed.

“Oh, you watch me.I’ll find a way,” Mike laughed along with him.

“Your turn,” Mike said once they’d both calmed down.

Will sighed before saying, “I wanna be an artist.”

“Makes sense,” Mike nodded.

“Huh?”

“It’s just... you did go on a rant about how your art teacher only likes to see 'real art' and that her idea of art was very narrow so...”

Will groaned, “I’m sorry for making you listen to that.”

“It’s cool, I like listening to you rant,” Mike smiled.Will tried to hide the blush brimming in his cheeks.“But, if you want to be an artist then do it.”

“It’s not as easy as that.”

“Yeah it is.If you want to do something then do it.”

“Do you know how many people there are who want to be artists and how hard it is to make a living like that?”He explained.“There are people who are much more talented than I am who  never  made it because... that’s just not the way the world works.And there are people who’s parents have more money than mine and who can fund their kids dreams in a way my mom just won’t be able to.Or there’s people who went to a better school than I have, ones that actually  specialize  in art.It’s just... it’s not as easy as you think.”

“But that stuff shouldn’t matter,” Mike said.“If you’re good enough you make it.If you work hard enough then you make it.”

Will scoffed.“God, you really have zero idea how the real world works.”

Mike had asked him to elaborate on that but he’d decided to just leave it there.Will thought it was maybe to early in the friendship for the ‘eat the rich’ talk.

“BYERS!”Rebecca clapped her hands in front of his face, making him physically jump away from her.

“Jesus Christ, Beck,” he pointed the torch in her face.“What the fuck was that for?”

“You weren’t paying any attention to what I was saying!”She pushed his arm away to get the glare of light out of her eyes.

“Yes I was!”

“Really?What was I talking about?”

“I- I can’t remember your exact words,” he turned away and shrugged his bag further up on his shoulder.“Something about your mom.”He started walking again.

Rebecca sighed and stomped after him.“Sorry, I should’ve known you’d be too busy thinking about your  _boyfriend_ to pay attention to me.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Will mumbled.

“But you want him to be,” Rebecca nudged his side with a cheeky smile.He just glared at her and didn’t give an answer.“Well that just gives me all the answers I need.When do I get to meet him?”

“Never if you keep acting like a bitch.”

“Come on, I’m just teasing.Although, knowing your type he’s probably just some asshole who I’d hate.”

“He’s not an asshole,” Will rolled his eyes.

“Max doesn’t seem to sure about him,” Rebecca countered.

“So you and Max have been getting together and discussing my love life?”Will doesn’t like that idea, his friends getting together and discussing things that should be up to him.

“No, Dustin was there as well.”She tried to add some humor to the conversation, but Will doesn’t take the bait.“Come on, we’re just-“

“If one more person says they’re worried about me I swear to the God that I don’t believe in, I’ll commit... something!”Will rounded on her.

“You’ll commit  something?”  Rebecca smirked.

“Yes, something,” Will reiterates.

“Any idea of what yet?”

“Possibly murder, more likely arson.”

“You know, if you attack me it’s technically considered a hate crime.”

“Like this town gives a fuck about that.The police here are useless.”

“The police everywhere are useless.”

The two of them fall into their usual repertoire, shooting the shit about any and everything that comes to mind.Will’s incredibly thankful for the fact he found Rebecca and she found him.It’s a different kind of friendship than what he has with Max and Dustin, those two are like family and he could wander into his house and find them sitting there like they owned the place and he wouldn’t bat an eyelid.Rebecca and the other hand is more just... a friend.She’s not any less important to him, just important in a different way.She’s also the only person who really  gets it. She knows what it’s like to grow up a queer kid in Hawkins.Neither of them ever came out to each other, after that first dance at the Snow Ball they both justknew, and a lifelong bond was formed.She doesn’t have to  _try_ and understand, she just  does.

“He really isn’t an asshole you know,” Will mumbled. 

“Then what’s he like?”Rebecca asked, tilting her head to the side.

“He’s... nice, like, genuinely  nice. But he is a bit of an idiot, fumbles over his words a lot.I think that’s cause he writes, he doesn’t need to rely on what comes out of his mouth, he can just put it on a page and it makes sense.He’s clumsy as well,  so  clumsy, like- he’s the type of person who trips over his own feet.And he’s just so awkward and nerdy- oh!And he  loves  ‘Star Wars’.Seriously, never stops talking about it.And-“

Rebecca cuts him off with a curt laugh.

“What?”He asks, rather offended that she’s not paying attention to him.

“Nothing it’s just... you’ve really got it bad, don’t you?”

He just hums gently as an answer.

“It’s just, usually with guys the best you can give me is, ‘he’s not an asshole when it’s just us,’ or ‘you don’t know him like I do.”You’ve never been able to give me... what’s good about them.It’s just nice to know your daddy issues aren’t so deep you can  only  fall in love with guys who’re like your dad.”

“I don’t have daddy issues!”Will tries to start with her, unfortunately they’ve made it to the Byers residence and Rebecca runs to the front porch, cackling madly.

Will just sighs and slowly follows after her, taking note of the fact the lights were shining through the living-room window despite the fact Joyce was meant to be working late tonight. He twists the keys in the door and wanders in to find Max sitting on the couch in her over sized t-shirt and a hoodie watching whatever shit’s and playing on the TV at this time of night.

"Oh, so we've got a full house tonight then, I'll go raid the kitchen," Rebecca said, rubbing her hands together eagerly.

"Why are you here?" Max asked, turning her attention towards the two of them.

"I live here," Will said. Max stuck her tongue out at him.

"I was asking her," she gestured towards Rebecca who was already on her way to the kitchen.

"My mom's an awkward bitch," Rebecca called back.

"I know the feeling," Max muttered, a sad smile on her face.

Will sat himself down next to her, looking over her face for signs of a fight. There never usually was - Neil liked to keep the pain he inflicted hidden under the surface, like most of the men in Hawkins - but there had been a few occasions where he got _really_ out of control, and Max was looking particularly disheveled tonight.

Max seemed to catch drift of what he was doing, because she just gave him a look and said, "I'm fine, it's just her usual bullshit... Or _his_ usual bullshit that she puts up with I guess."

He just sighed and left it there, again, knowing that talking about things only made shit worse for Max. The one time Dustin had brought up her home life (since out of the three of them he came from the most stable family and didn't always have the tact with dealing with those things that Will did) Max had gotten so pissed off at them she threw a book at Dustin's head and proceeded not to talk to them for a week or two. Her silence only broke when she turned up at the Byers residence seeking shelter from the storm that was Neil Hargrove. He'd talked to Dustin about not bringing it up again, because Max could just disappear and cut them off, which wouldn't be at all helpful. She needed them, although she did her hardest to pretend she didn't, Will recognized and saw through that facade. Of course, it's hard not to recognize parts of yourself that can show up on the people around you. He recognized that facade as he had once crafted it so perfectly for himself.

"So, how was work?" Max shook herself out of her slightly saddened state When Rebecca came waltzing back through, carrying a bag of chips large enough for them all to share. Her and Rebecca weren't really close enough for that kind of vulnerability around each other. 

"The usual," she shrugged, sitting in between the two of them and ripping open the packet. "Served some rich bastards, nearly wanted to snap some condescending dude's neck, teased Will about his love sick grin for posh boy."

Will groaned and threw his head back. "Nope, we're not doing this, tonight is not _pick on Will_ night."

"But it's so much fun," Max teased. Will really didn't understand his friends sometimes. One second they were making fun of his crush and the next they were all concerned for him. If they really wanted him to forget about Mike, wouldn't they just... not bring him up? Wouldn't Will forgetting about him be the best and most painless way for this entire situation to end.

"One more word and you're both sleeping on the porch," he bluffed. Will would obviously never do that, he cares too much about the annoying bastards next to him to do anything along those lines.

"Fine," Max groaned, changing the subject. "Hey, my mom and Neil are going away next weekend, so I was thinking, party at mine?" Will knew that she really meant 'he's taking my mom on a _please forgive me for being an awful piece of shit_ trip and they're leaving me behind and I have to distract myself from being alone so I don't go insane.'

"By party do you mean you, Will, Dustin and the three other people - including me - at school who you talk to more than once a month or like... actual party?" Rebecca said.

"Actual party," she specified. Although none of them were at all popular, Max by far had the highest social standing amongst their small group, and she was _definitely_ the only one of them who could throw a _party_ party. She probably could be rather popular if it wasn't for how easily irritated she was.

"I don't know," Will muttered. He'd never been one for parties, not liking to really expand his social life outside of weekends at the junkyard with Max, Dustin and occasionally Rebecca (and now Mike). There were always too many people and he constantly felt the need to try and blend into the background, knowing that he wasn't the most popular kid at school and the wrong person spotting him could mean major trouble.

"Oh come on! We'll have a 'no assholes allowed' policy _and_ you can control the music," Max offered.

"And I've seen you have fun at parties before. You just wait till everyone else is to pissed to recognize you and then dance your little heart off," Rebecca said, punctuating her sentence by pinching his cheek. He just glared at her, but unfortunately she had a point. Will did normally end up enjoying parties, at least for bit anyway, and someone had to be there and make sure no one dies when his friends were too intoxicated to function. He mulled his decision over for a moment, before relenting and saying he would go.

Max threw a fist into the air in celebration, giving a holler and a whoop. "Would you two be able to get off early on Saturday?" She then asked.

Him and Rebecca both silently thought it over for a moment, communicating silently about who they could swap shifts with. "We could switch with Suzie and Jeff?" Will suggested. "We should get off a few hours early that way." Rebecca nodded in agreement and the decision was reached. If only Will knew what was going to happen next Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning, he might have campaigned against the party. Or, possibly, given an astounding and passionate 'yes' before she could finish speaking.

**

_It was hot, Mike could tell that much. His surroundings were blurry, but he was pretty sure he was at Hawkins' Pool. Despite the warmth there was no way it was summer, because the pool was always filled to the brim with people at that time of year, which was the reason Mike hadn't frequented the pool in recent years. It was to cramped. However, today it didn't seem so bad - in fact it seemed wonderful today. Today it was just Mike, floating in the water all alone, completely weightless and without worry for once._

_That is, until what felt like tidal wave hit, flipping him over and out of the safety net the water had created, shoving everything off balance. He was quickly pulled under by the waves (since when did the pool have a wave machine?) He reached his hand up to the sky as he slipped deeper and deeper, further and further away from the world above, the world he had always known._

That's _when he started to panic. He started to go through the mental checklist of hopes he assumed everyone went through when they were dying; that there was a god and somewhere for him to go after the water took him, that his life had meant something, that_ someone _was going to miss him._

_He closed his eyes, preparing for his breath to stop and his heart to run out of gentle_ ticks _when a light started shining above him - creating kaleidoscopes on the inside of his eyelids - and a hand grabbed onto his own. He was quickly pulled back up from the depths of despair, back to the land of the living and his feet hit the ground._

_He slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. It seemed that he was back in Hawkins' Pool (not that he'd ever left, had he?) He was still surrounded by water, but this time he was standing instead of gently floating. The sun also seemed to have disappeared. Not in the sense night had fallen around him but in the sense that it was just... gone. That didn't affect the heat however, it was still as warm as it was before. How the fuck did that work?_

_Mike tried to identify the source of the heat, which brought him down towards his hand, the one that had been gripped onto just a moment ago when he'd been pulled away from death. It seemed that there was still a hand clasped in his own, just ever so slightly smaller but with rougher skin. He let his eyes trail up from the other's hand to their arm, and kept on going further and further up till he reached their face. It was Will._

_Will was standing in front of him, hair wet and eyes shining, droplets of water hanging off of his body, radiating all of the heat in the world and giving it back to Mike. "_ _You should be more careful, you could've gotten pulled under," he said matter-of-factly._

_"It's not like I meant to do it, I just-" Mike cut himself off, realizing he didn't know what came next. How the fuck had that happened? How had he let that happen?_

_He just laughed at Mike, with no menace in the sound. Then, Will was reaching forward and brushing a strand of Mike's hair out of his face. "You're a bit of an idiot, Mike Wheeler," he said gently, cupping Mike's cheek in his hand. "But so am I."_

_Mike held his breath as Will leaned forward closer and closer and closer-_

"For God's sake Michael, it's nearly twelve!" There was a banshee in Mike's room, that was the only answer to the shrill, loud noise that had jerked him out of his dream. A monster of some kind must have broken into his room, a creature that radiated as much light as the sun if the searing, pain in his eyes was anything to go by. He slowly creeped his eyes open - hoping that he hadn't been permanently blinded - to see that it was in fact not a monster but something much worse - a thoroughly pissed off Karen Wheeler.

"It's a Sunday mom," he groaned, bringing his duvet around himself and rolling over in his bed, trying to shield his eyes from the afternoon light streaming in through his bedroom window.

"Oh, it's a Sunday, is it!" She ripped his blanket off of him - that woman was a lot stronger than she looked - and forced him to turn back over so he was facing her. "Since when did that mean you were able to sleep in until noon!?" She shrieked, shaking her arms around furiously.

"Since always!" He leapt out of bed and faced up to her. "Sunday is literally 'a day of rest' so I was fucking resting!"

"Watch your language," Mike heard Ted say halfheartedly as he waddled past the door with a newspaper under his arm. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at his father's parenting attempt. This, however, didn't seem to be the best course of action.

"Don't you dare roll your eyes at your father," Karen warned, pointing a finger in his face.

"You do it all the time," he pointed out.

"That's different!"

"How?!"

"I-" she stammered like a confused fish, unable to come up with a satisfactory answer and eventually just giving up all together. "Just get dressed and come down stairs!" She yelled before storming out and slamming the door like an angry teenager (although, Mike supposed he couldn't really fault her for that as he constantly went around slamming doors in fits of anger).

Mike huffed and stomped around his room, throwing on first item of clothing he could get his hands on before rushing downstairs like a hurricane.

"Where're you going?" Karen said, hands on her hips and scowl on her face as she saw her son barging down the stairs and towards the front door.

"Out!" He grabbed onto his coat (it was starting to get chilly outside) and his car keys, ignoring any and all protests he heard from behind the door. God, what was up her fucking ass today? So he slept in a bit, big fucking deal! He got that she was unhappy with her life but she didn't need to take it out on him. Mike remedied his anger by grumbling a few choice swear-words to himself and he got into his car and started the engine, not even needing to think about where he was going.

What most annoyed him, was that he was having such a good dream and now he could barely remember it. It was all slipping through his fingers, fading away like breath on a mirror, there and gone within two seconds flat. He thinks he was in Hawkins Pool, and then he wasn't... and then Will was there and then- then Will brushed the hair out of his face and called him an idiot and-

No, that didn't happen, or _wasn't going too_ happen. He couldn't have dreamed about... about that. Not with Will - no, scratch that - not with any _guy._ He wasn't... like _that._ There was no way in hell he was like that. He liked _girls_. Sure he'd only girl he'd ever dated was El, and it was only really out of a sense of obligation cause they were friends and just kind of _assumed_ that it was what they were meant to do, but he had enjoyed it. His mind must be playing tricks on him, he misremembered his dream, that's all that was happening here.

***

Mike pulled up outside of the Byers home, to see a much bigger group of people than he'd expected. His eyes were of course, drawn first towards Will who was sitting out on one of the old pieces of furniture on the veranda by the front of the house next to a girl with long brown hair, chubby cheeks and freckles dusting her face that Mike hadn't seen before. The next person Mike saw was Max, her hair thrown up in a ponytail, riding her skateboard around the gravelly driveway. The final person his eyes were drawn towards where Will's mother who was hanging laundry up.

Not surprisingly, everyone looked around in surprise when they heard Mike's car. They obviously weren't expecting anyone to stop by on a Sunday. Although when Will realized who it was his face completely lit up, and Mike's did too, giving Will an awkward little wave through the front windscreen. He got out of the car and met Will halfway between where he'd parked and where Will had been sitting.

"What're you doing here?" Will asked, a warm smile on his face.

"No idea," Mike smiled back.

Will rolled his eyes "Do you ever have any idea what you're doing? Cause it doesn't seem like you do if I'm being honest."

"Nope." _And I've had even less of an idea since you turned up._

Mike saw Joyce heading over to them with a laundry basket balanced on her hip and a smile on her face. Joyce Byers had the kind of smile where she always looked empathetic and caring however she certainly didn't look like a pushover. It was for that reason that Mike felt he wouldn't mind putting his life in her hands even if he'd only just met her.

"Hi Mike," she greeted him cheerfully, if slightly out of breath and tired looking. Before Mike could respond she kept on going, "do you want anything to eat? I was just about to make sandwiches."

"Mom, you don't have to do that, you should enjoy your day off-"

"Oh stop it. I never get to make you lunch anymore, just let me pretend for a moment that you're still a little kid," she reached up and ruffled her son's hair and Mike couldn't help but laugh at the resigned look on Will's face. "So Mike, do you want anything?" She turned back towards him and asked.

"Yes please Mrs Byers."

Joyce informed them that she'd call them inside when she was done before turning and making her way to the house.

"Actually I have something to get you, be back in a second," Will said so quickly Mike easily could have missed it completely if he wasn't paying such close attention to everything Will said and then turned and ran up to the house after his mother.

When they saw Will running by in a flurry then Max and the other girl exchanged a knowing look before running after him.

Left all alone in the garden Mike reverted to his normal stance of awkward standing (Or at least Lucas said his standing was awkward, like everything else about him) for the next few minutes, badly whistling out a tune

As he saw Will running down the steps and over to him a large smile grow on his face, and when Will stopped in front of him - just slightly _too close_ \- with his hair flying everywhere, Mike had an unexplainable urge to reach forward and brush the other boy's hair out of his face, just as Will had done to him in his dream. His face started to go red at the thought, and he shoved his hands in his pockets to stop himself from doing something stupid with them. Max and Rebecca followed him out of the house, sitting down on the old patio furniture that looked as if it hadn't been cleaned since it was bought.

"So... you're gonna have to forgive me for something," Will said, something clutched behind his back and a mischievous and slightly guilty glint in his eye.

"Okay..." Mike replied slowly, racking his brains to think of something Will might have done to upset him.

"I _may_ have had a little peek in your notebook when I was over at your place," he brought one of his hands forward and held his thumb and forefinger at a small distance from each other.

Mike should have been angry, with anyone else he would have been livid at the idea of them looking through his writings, but with Will it didn't seem to matter very much. In that moment, Mike thinks he could share everything with Will. 

"I only read one thing," Will continued, "and your words they just- got stuck in my head and I couldn't stop thinking so..." Will awkwardly brought his hands around and passed Mike a slightly crumpled (probably from being scrunched up behind Will's back) piece of paper.

It took Mike a moment to take in what he was seeing in front of him. It was a drawing of a forest, but not just any forest. It was a forest filled with tall trees with thin blue trunks, swirling branches and gorgeous pastel leaves of green, pink and yellow. The ground bellow the trees was covered in leaves which fell through the air like raindrops. It was Mike's forest - the one he'd created in his mess of a mind and wrote out onto paper - visualized for the first time.

He must have been quiet for too long because when he looked up at Will's face it was scrunched up and nervous looking. "You're mad, aren't you?" Will started as their eyes met. "I know I should've just left it alone but I couldn't help it and it was something just for you and now I've taken it and-"

"No!" Mike interrupted, more aggressive then he'd intended to. "No," he cleared his throat, trying again, "I like it."

"You do?" Will looked as if he had started glowing.

"Yeah, I mean, you're right that it's not just mine anymore- it's kind of... ours. And I like that. It can get lonely on your own, you know?" Mike explained.

"Yeah, ours," Will repeated, a shy smile on his face.

Mike liked that idea, that there was something belonging to both him and Will, just for the two of them. A private island of solace from the rest of the world, where nobody could hurt them. Unfortunately no such island existed, and their moment was interrupted by Max swooping in and slinging her arm over Will's shoulder.

"You inviting 'Posh Boy' to mine next weekend?" She asked with a grin on her face, her eyes not even glancing towards Mike.

Will glared at Max, his jaw set. "Well it actually hadn't occurred to me," he spat out at her, "but now that you're here why don't you go ahead and do it?" Max gave him a smile - one that meant nothing to Mike but between the two of them probably said a thousand words - and opened her mouth to start talking, but before she could get a word out the other girl that Mike hadn't seen before ran up to Will's other side and interrupted.

"What're you guys talking about?"

"Great, so everyone's just joining in now?!" Will threw his arms up in the air, a pouty expression on his face that made Mike have to stifle a laugh. _Fuck, he's cute when he does that._

"What, I got lonely! You guys were taking to long." She exchanged a look with Max which made Will roll his eyes, and Mike couldn't help but feel as if he was intruding on something. Those looks and touches that he wasn't a part of just made him feel like more of an outsider. Will had a whole life filled with friends and memories and inside jokes that Mike just _wasn't_ a part of, he was simply looking in on Will's life other than being a real, solid part of it.

"Mike, this is Rebecca, she works with me and goes to school with us," Will begrudgingly introduced the brunette standing on his side.

"As I was about to say before being _rudely_ _interrupted-"_ Rebecca stuck her tongue out at Max "-I'm having a party next Friday and I was wondering if you wanted to come?" She asked, looking at Mike for the first time since she'd interrupted him and Will.

"Oh- em-"

"You're surprised," she said. Mike couldn't figure out if it was a statement or a question.

"Well yeah, I just didn't really get the feeling you liked me very much."

"Well the feelings mutual," she said. Mike was taken aback by that. He was used to people tip-toeing around the way they feel but Max was just so straight up about everything, she could be a shock to the system. Also she just got on his nerves. However Will liked her so she couldn't be to bad.

Max shared that feeling as well, and went on with, "but Will seems to like you, so I'm inviting you."

"Thanks, but I'm not really a party person," Mike said, looking at Will instead of the two girls.

"God, you two are perfect for each other," Rebecca snickered. Mike's stomach some how soared to the sun and dropped down to hell at those words. By the look on Will's face, his did the same. 

"What she means is-" Will stuttered, the blush starting to clear from his skin "-I'm not really a party person either. So... the two of us could just hang out. Find a quiet corner away from everyone. It could be fine."

Just the two of them... that did sound nice. Knowing his luck (this conversation could be used as an example) someone would probably interrupt him and Will, just as they always seemed to do. It was like the world didn't want them to be alone together for more than a few moments tops. _Maybe the universe is doing that for a reason, one that you don't know and aren't meant to find out._ Stereotypical, Mike knew that this boy from the edge of town with his cigarettes and loud music would only spell out trouble, but that's not all Will was. Sure, he could be loud and boisterous and confident, but he could also be so small and quiet and insecure. He was like a big ball of contradictions, and for some reason - unbeknownst to him at the time - that interested Mike, more than any of the stories he'd ever read. Mike wanted to see what made the boy in front of him tick.

So, ignoring the blaring red lights flashing in the back of his mind telling him to avoid this party on the wrong side of town, Mike - very simply - said, "Sure, sounds fun."

"Cool," Will sighed in relief perked up, looking glad that the conversation was over. _See, that's what I mean,_ Mike thought to himself. How could Will appear both so confident and so terrified of the slightest social slip-up at the same time?

"You could invite your friends as well, I'd really like to meet them," Will suggested.

"Now _they are_ party people," Mike laughed to himself, already imagining what Lucas and El would be like at this party. Mike hadn't seen them at one in a while, but his vague memories of them smiling and having fun were definitely the best he'd taken away from a night out.

"Thank god, so not everyone there'll be a total bore," Max rolled her eyes. Mike jumped at the sound of her voice, as he'd momentarily forget about her existence. Conversations with Will could give a person tunnel vision and make them forget the rest of the world. Or at least they could do that to Mike.

"Max, do you hear that?" Rebecca suddenly asked.

"Hear what?"

"I think Joyce is calling us inside."

"No she isn't-"

Oh! There it is again." As far as Mike could tell there was absolutely no sound other than that of the chirping birds and light breeze blowing around them.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, there's no-" Before Max could finish her thought, Rebecca was grabbing onto her sleeve and dragging her up the driveway. Will looked on after them and Mike swore he saw Rebecca wink at him. Mike was only made more sure of that when Will turned back around with a light blush tinting his cheeks. He looked right into Mike's eyes.

Mike cleared his throat. "What was that all about?" He asked.

"What?" Will replied, a dazed look on his face. He quickly shook his head and seemed to bring himself back down to earth. "Oh, them. They're just being stupid."

Will had a small smile on his face, one that Mike had grown to easily recognize during their short time spent together. It was slightly awkward, as if Will didn't quite know what to do with himself, but showed that he wasn't going to back out of the conversation. That he wanted to go on but didn't really know what to say. Mike never realized that a smile could say so much before he started examining Will's.

In that moment, Mike was reminded of his dream. It was colder right now, in real life, but the sun was still shining down on them with a bright glow, illuminating Will in some kind of heavenly light. Will's shaggy, unkempt hair was also in his face, small wisps covering up his gorgeous hazel eyes. For them to be as close as they had in his dream all Mike had to do was take a few steps forward (steps that he was suddenly taking) and bend down a couple of inches and then...

"I have to go..." Mike heard himself say in a voice just above a whisper.

"What?"

"I- I have to go home."

"But I thought you were gonna stay for lunch?" Will pointed his thumb behind him in the direction of the house.

"Yeah I was but..." _think Michael you stupid idiot_ "...I fell out with my mom this morning. I have to get back soon or I'll be in deep shit." Mike started to walk backwards, tripping over his own feet on the way.

"Oh, okay," Will seemed disappointing, sad, that he was leaving so soon. Mike wanted to run back over to him and just-

But something _(fear)_ kept him stepping away.

"I'll see you... sometime before next weekend, most likely." Will looked happier knowing that Mike would be coming back at some point, that he wasn't disappearing forever. The idea of that was unthinkable. Mike couldn't stay away from Will... even if he tried.

Mike then turned and practically ran back to his car and waved Will goodbye as he disappeared into his house. His mind absolutely reeling. That wasn't- he hadn't actually wanted to- no. No! That was impossible, he couldn't want to kiss Will. He - Mike - wasn't like that, never had been. _But that dream... it can't be a coincidence..._ No! Everyone already thought he was a total freak and _that_ would upgrade him to the total next level. Mike wouldn't let himself be like that, he _couldn't_ let himself be like that.


End file.
